About us . . .
Southgate & Sterling aim to provide quality products at competitive prices. Our target market is either large end-users or resellers. We look to develop long-term relationships with our customers and if they require we can ensure key lines are held in higher stock volumes or we can also develop specific lines for them. Due to us being in business for over 100 years we have some customers who have been with us for decades and we aim to help support your business with quality products that we deliver quickly. This means we can support you to grow your margin and revenue through competitive pricing and being able to reduce your stock holding.
The key reason we are able to develop long-term successful relationships with our customers is because we have always focused on supplying quality products at competitive prices throughout our 100-year history. Our long history also means we have been working with our suppliers for decades. This means we can plan for the long-term with them so keeping prices down, product quality high and the product range consistent. We also hold large stock volumes which means our customers do not have to and can rely on us to ensure stock is available quickly. This means that if your needs are a few hundred or a few thousand of a line we can supply it at a competitive price and within days so ensuring your project or your customers needs are met on time and on budget.
We realise that business is tough and getting tougher every year therefore what we aim to do is make doing business with us for the lines you need as easy and quick as possible. This means that because we are a reliable partner who will not let you down it is one less worry for you meaning you can focus on other challenges in your business.
Our customer retention is industry leading and this is because what we do we do to a very high standard which means you have a long-term partner and do not need to switch and look for alternative suppliers.
If you are not currently working with us why not give us a go. What have you got to lose in having a chat. It may just make your business more profitable and mean you have one less issue to worry about at work.
Where it all started
Southgate & Sterling has been in a business for over 100 years in one form or another. We first started in 1922 when Arthur Southgate spotted the need for a quality paint brush and decorating supplier in the Birmingham area.
Arthur was young and ambitious and with his small lock-up and van he started to build his business. Arthur built the business by himself delivering quality but reasonably priced products to local companies in the Midlands area. The business continued to grow rapidly and soon expanded to supply on a national level. This meant Arthur had to expand his premises and bring in more staff to support him. Arthur always ensured though that customer needs were always the primary focus.
When Arthur stepped back from running the business in 1978 his son Eric took over the business. Eric had served his apprenticeship in the business so was ready and capable of taking over and running the business. He was able to seamlessly takeover running the business and continue with it yearly growth. In the early 1980’s Eric realised that the world was rapidly changing and saw the opportunity to start sourcing goods from the Far East and in particular China. Eric therefore travelled to China in the 1980’s and was one of the first UK suppliers to establish relationships with factories in China. One thing Eric was always clear about just like his father Arthur was that quality of our product was key and would not be compromised. This meant lots of work finding the right partners but it was worth it and many of the suppliers he started working with the are still our partners almost fifty years later. This meant that we were able to supply quality paintbrushes, rollers and other industrial brushes that were manufactured in the UK, Europe and the Far East. This ensured our excellent quality was maintained but also we ensured our customers were getting great pricing.
In 2006 Eric sadly passed away after running the business for over thirty years. This meant that the 3rd generation of the family Robert took over control of the business. Robert then guided the continued growth of the business until 2021 the 99th year of AE Southgate. In 2021 Robbert decided that to ensure the continued growth of the business and ensure we could stay competitive in supplying quality products at competitive prices we needed to be part of a larger group. The company therefore merged with Sterling Brushes and was rebranded Southgate & Sterling Ltd.
The new company continues to grow with Robert still involved on a day-to-day basis. The key thing is that our DNA is still the same and just like Arthur and Eric over our 100 years of existence we still supply excellent quality products at competitive prices and ensure our focus is always on our customers.
Eric
Robert