Hard landscaping specialist CED Stone Group has bought Corfe Stone in Cheshire to add to its existing five depots nationwide and giving it a specific presence in the North West of England.

Corfe Stone becomes CED North West – Corfe, but will continue to trade as Corfe Stone, as the name is well known and respected in the region. Corfe’s 10 staff transfer to CED with the business, bringing their highly valuable experience, local knowledge and customer relationships to CED.

The move comes at a time of growth for CED Stone Group as it steps up its industry profile by, among other moves, becoming the headline sponsor of this year’s Society of Garden Designers (SGD) Awards.

In the past year it also supported 23 gardens and trade stands at flower shows and exhibitions, including the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show. Five of the gardens it supported gained Gold Medals,10 Silver-Gilts and three Silver Medals.

CED Stone says it plans to continue to lend its support to promising garden design and landscaping talent in the coming years.

The Corfe Stone sales centre and distribution depot is in Hooton, Cheshire. The company says the acquisition works towards Managing Director Giles Heap’s ambition to position CED Stone as the leading UK supplier of top quality natural stone and hard landscaping products in a growth initiative put in place for the period up to 2020.

Its goal is to increase its market share substantially.

Giles Heap says: “I have been looking to add another depot to the company for a while now and it became apparent that a depot in the North West of England would be ideal.

“When we discovered a small, reputable natural stone company was up for sale, about eight miles from our perfect location, we leapt at the chance.

“Like CED, Corfe Stone is a family-owned company, which has been trading for over 30 years. Its products, traditions and customer service ethos are very similar to ours. The business is a great fit for us and we look forward to serving Corfe’s loyal customer base.”

Giles adds: “Having met the team, I am certain that we will all work together very well. I look forward to seeing what they will bring to our rapidly growing CED family.”