Our story
Built on trust, built for the trade
Since 1987, General Supplies Ltd has been the South East's most trusted builders merchant — supplying contractors, developers, and tradespeople with the materials they need, when they need them.
1987
Founded
5,000+
Product lines
3,000+
Trade accounts
38
Years in business
From a single yard to the South East's go-to merchant
General Supplies Ltd was founded in 1987 by Alan and Margaret Briggs from a single yard in Bermondsey, South London. What started as a modest operation supplying local builders with bricks, sand, and cement has grown into one of the South East's most respected independent builders merchants.
Over nearly four decades we've expanded our range to cover over 5,000 product lines — from structural timber and plumbing systems to electrical supplies and specialist fixings. But our approach has never changed: stock what the trade needs, price it fairly, and get it there fast.
Today we serve more than 3,000 trade account holders across London, Kent, Surrey, and Essex, with same-day delivery available across Greater London for orders placed before 11am.
What we stand for
Stock depth
We hold significant stock across all categories so you're never left waiting for a critical delivery. If we don't have it, we'll source it.
Fair pricing
Transparent trade pricing with no hidden charges. The more you buy, the better your rate — and we'll always match a genuine like-for-like quote.
Reliability
Same-day delivery across Greater London, next-day across the South East. Our logistics team is on the road from 6am, six days a week.
Expert advice
Our counter staff are all trade-trained. Whether you need help specifying a heating system or sourcing a discontinued fixing, we know our products.
The people behind the counter
Our team brings decades of hands-on trade experience to every customer interaction.
David Briggs
Managing Director
David joined the family business in 2003 after a decade as a site manager. He took over as MD in 2015 and has overseen the expansion of the trade account programme and same-day delivery network.
Sarah Okafor
Head of Trade Accounts
Sarah has been with General Supplies for 14 years and personally manages relationships with our largest account holders. She leads a team of six dedicated account managers.
James Whitfield
Warehouse & Logistics Manager
James runs our 40,000 sq ft warehouse and fleet of 12 delivery vehicles. His team processes over 400 orders a day and maintains our industry-leading on-time delivery rate.
Priya Sharma
Buying & Procurement
Priya manages supplier relationships across all 5,000+ product lines. She's responsible for ensuring we always have the right stock at the right price.
Ready to open a trade account?
Join over 3,000 businesses who rely on General Supplies Ltd every day.