Combined Masonry Supplies in Bradford, West Yorkshire, has concluded a deal with German materials handling supplier Weha to distribute the products in the UK.

National Masonry has been the sole representative of Weha in the UK since taking over distribution of the range from Harbro in 2010. Combined Masonry Supplies is not taking distribution from National Masonry but will be working with it, expanding the coverage Weha has in the UK and Ireland.

Richard Chandler, the Managing Director of Combined Masonry Supplies, says he sees his business and that of National Masonry as being complementary to each other on Weha distribution.

Combined Masonry Supplies has good coverage of the memorial masonry industry and has four vans on the road regularly visiting customers. Before taking on the whole Weha range it was selling a headstone trolley, which proved popular and encouraged it to broaden its offering from Weha.

Richard Chandler says what he likes about Weha is the combination of German engineering at Polish manufacturing prices. Weha’s Polish factory is only a five-hour drive from its premises in Germany, which enables the Germans to maintain close communications with the Polish production.

Combined Masonry Supplies will be joining National Masonry in holding stocks in the UK, which will expand the stockholding and make a wider range of products available.

Weha has a huge range of products on its books, including some machinery already being sold in the UK by other agents. But Richard says Combined Masonry Supplies has moved out of machinery supply (it used to represent Kolb) and does not intend to get involved in grey importing through Weha.