________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
QUALITY over quantity
From importing to manufacturing , dive into Bonnington Plastics ’ growth journey
Standing as a leading importer of wholesale gardening , home and leisure products , Bonnington Plastics Ltd ( Bonningtons ) is a Nottingham , UK-based enterprise . Bonningtons ’ product portfolio covers many categories , including gardening tools and garden accessories , outdoor furniture and barbecues , camping , garden lighting , wild bird and pet care , pest control , and disposable catering and homeware . Since its inception in 1967 , the company has been the supplier of choice for garden centers , high street multiples , wholesalers , independents , and large internet retailers . Today , Bonningtons continues to be one of the UK ’ s fastest growing companies , providing the trade with competitively priced , great selling products directly from its Nottinghamshire factories and warehouse . Sergio Tartaglia , Sales Director , talks us through the company ’ s journey .
“ Upon its establishment 57 years ago , Bonningtons originally specialized in manufacturing a diverse range of products .
For a few years , we specifically focused on producing hose pipes , but we soon realized we couldn ’ t compete with imports from China . Consequently , we transitioned away from manufacturing , favoring importing instead . We thrived solely on an imports-based business model , until we made the strategic decision to re-enter manufacturing in 2023 . The drive behind this move stemmed from the owners of FlowChemUK ( Flow ), our current range of chemical products , who proposed selling their range through Bonningtons . Following the acquisition of Flow ’ s catalog , our operations were relatively slow , and we were filling orders manually . However , thanks to our sales team actively promoting the Flow range to our existing customer base , the business gained momentum within a few months and orders began flowing in . As a result of this success , Bonningtons was determined to diversify its offerings and boost revenue . To that end , we made a sizeable investment by purchasing our first manufacturing machine , at a cost of over £ 300,000 ,” he recounts .
104