There was more than 10% off many of the 75 lines carried by the new B-Stone wholesalers in Roade, Northamptonshire, when they held a weekend of open days at the beginning of this month (September).

Although a separate company, B-Stone is owned by the owners of the big Belgian stone processors and wholesalers, BMB, and the shareholders were among the visitors to B-Stone\'s warehouse during the weekend.

Among the natural granites, marbles and limestones, B-Stone were promoting a new association with Diresco, Belgian manufacturers of quartz composite materials that was on offer at the special price of less than £60/m2 during the open days.

B-Stone have reached an agreement with Diresco to supply the company\'s range of man-made quartz slabs exclusively in the UK.

B-Stone general manager Dennis Verlinde says: "We think it\'s a complement to the natural stone. Natural stone sales are growing are next to it is composite stone."

The most popular colours of the 18 in the range are being stocked at Roade, but Dennis says that because the material only has to come from Belgium the whole range is available within a matter of a few days.

He says B-Stone also enjoy the substantial back up of BMB, who have stocks in Belgium 15 times greater than those in the UK. "They have a tiles warehouse alone that is twice the size of our warehouse here," says Dennis - and the warehouse in Roade is 1,670m2 and carries 11,000m2 of stock.

BMB have outlets in Belgium and France, as well as the new one in the UK just off junction 15 of the M1 for easy access into London and the South, as well as to the North. They now have three salespeople representing them across the UK and have their own truck for making deliveries. "We think we have some advantages on price, quality and our service," says Dennis. "It\'s really picking up."

For more information call B-Stone on Tel: 01604 861227.