Category: Ipswich Branch

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Landscaping Roadshow 2025

Last week we wrapped up our 2025 Landscaping Roadshow across Lawford, Ipswich and Colchester, and what a fantastic start to landscaping season.

The branches were buzzing with trade professionals, DIY customers and suppliers coming together for a brilliant morning of live product demos, exclusive deals, games, prizes and giveaways.

📍 Lawford — Thursday 20th March

We kicked things off at Lawford, and the atmosphere set the tone for the rest of the series. The yard filled quickly, suppliers were set up and ready, and customers wasted no time taking advantage of the exclusive roadshow deals.

The conversations around upcoming landscaping projects were in full swing, and it was fantastic to see so much engagement around new products and techniques. It was great to see so many familiar faces and plenty of new ones too.

📍 Ipswich — Thursday 27th March

Ipswich delivered another brilliant morning. The weather held, the bacon rolls went down well, and the supplier stands were busy from start to finish. There was a real focus on driveway solutions, porcelain trends and hard landscaping innovations, with hands-on discussions and practical advice shared throughout the morning. Roger the cat made an appearance and kept a close watch on snacks.

📍 Colchester — Thursday 3rd April

We rounded off the Landscaping Roadshow at Colchester, and it didn’t disappoint. The team loved seeing contractors catching up with suppliers directly, asking technical questions and getting first-hand advice on product ranges. It is going to be a busy Spring/Summer!

A huge thank you to the brilliant suppliers who came along to support Collier & Catchpole’s 2025 Landscaping Roadshow.

Long Rake Spar Co – “Our extensive range of high-quality natural aggregates offers a vast selection of colours, textures and design.”

Global Stone Paving – “Global Stone is an award-winning leading provider of superior natural stone and porcelain paving solutions.”

Brett Landscaping – “A well-designed driveway isn’t simply a place where you park your car, but a space which adds kerb appeal to your entire home.”

RUBI UK & Ireland – “RUBI Tools specialise in the design and manufacture of machinery and tools for cutting, placing and maintaining tiles.”

Azpects – “We produce products that make hard landscaping EASY. The revolutionary EASYJoint has become the UK’s top-selling jointing compound.”

What made this year’s Landscaping Roadshow special wasn’t just the products on display, it was the sense of community across Lawford, Ipswich and Colchester. We saw contractors planning their spring and summer projects, DIY customers getting expert advice face-to-face, strong supplier support with valuable technical insight, and plenty of genuine networking and relationship building throughout the mornings.

It’s always great to step away from the counter and have proper conversations about upcoming jobs, new materials and what’s trending in landscaping. To everyone who attended, thank you. Whether you came for the deals, the demos, the food or just a catch-up, we really appreciate your continued support.

If you missed out this time, keep an eye on our social channels for upcoming events. Be there or be square. Open to trade & DIY, always.

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New Global Stone Landscaping Displays

We’re excited to share that our brand-new landscaping displays at Collier & Catchpole are almost complete, with the finishing touches now being added at our Colchester, Ipswich and Lawford branches.

Over the past few weeks, our teams have been hard at work transforming the yard spaces to showcase some stunning paving and patio solutions, giving you the chance to see materials laid, positioned and styled. Because let’s face it, landscaping products always look better out of the pack.

A huge thank you to Global Stone Paving for their support in bringing these displays to life. Established in 2003, Global Stone is a trusted and award-winning brand delivering distinct, on-trend natural stone and porcelain paving. Their ever-evolving range blends trusted favourites with fresh, contemporary designs, meaning there’s something to suit every taste and project.

Natural stone is renowned for its unique beauty, with each piece offering its own colour variation, texture and character. Porcelain paving provides sleek, modern finishes with durability and low maintenance. Whether you’re designing a garden retreat, driveway upgrade or seamless indoor-outdoor space, these products truly elevate a project.

We’re proud to showcase a selection of their ranges across our branches, seeing them in-person makes all the difference.

We’d also like to say a big thank you to RUBI Group for helping us prepare the displays using their DCX-250 Xpert Cutter. Speedy. Professional. Perfect cuts. The precision cutting ensured every slab was finished cleanly and professionally, exactly how it should look when installed on your own project.

If you’re planning a patio, driveway or garden transformation this year, visiting our branch landscaping displays gives you the opportunity to see natural stone and porcelain laid in real settings, compare colours, textures and finishes side by side, gather inspiration for patterns and layouts, and speak directly with our team about the best products for your project.

Our landscaping displays are now nearly complete at Lawford, Ipswich and Colchester, so whether you’re trade or DIY, pop in, take a look and get inspired, perfect patios start here. We look forward to welcoming you soon.

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2025 Trade & DIY Events at Collier & Catchpole

We’ve got an exciting calendar of trade & DIY events lined up, and we’re ready to make our 2025 events the talk of the industry 🤝

See below our upcoming events and mark your calendars, open to both the trade and public. Come along and meet the team, talk projects with the experts, grab some food on us, play some games and win some prizes.

events

Landscaping Roadshow

Lawford: Thursday 20th March

Lawford Branch. Block 6, Riverside Avenue West, Lawford, Essex, CO11 1UN

Ipswich: Thursday 27th March

Ipswich Branch. Wherstead Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 8LF

Colchester: Thursday 3rd April

Colchester Branch. 11 London Road, Stanway, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0NT

Summer Bonanza

Thursday 19th June

Colchester Branch. 11 London Road, Stanway, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0NT

September Sizzler

Thursday 11th September

Ipswich Branch. Wherstead Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 8LF

Winter Wonderland

Thursday 27th November

Lawford Branch. Block 6, Riverside Avenue West, Lawford, Essex, CO11 1UN

Keep an eye out on our social media for more details and updates on upcoming trade events and we will see you there.

Suppliers and our team will be exhibiting at our events representing a range of product categories, including bricks, blocks, timber, landscaping, tools, workwear and drainage and are available to provide advice and guidance. Also explore the vast selection of building materials and landscaping products that Collier & Catchpole offers for both delivery and collection.

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September Sizzler Trade Event at Collier & Catchpole Ipswich

We did it! On Thursday 12th September, we hosted our second annual September Sizzler trade event at our Ipswich branch — 10/10 weather, food and people.

Thank you to the Collier & Catchpole team, suppliers and customers who came along to network, enjoy a free hotdog and discuss projects with the professionals that manufacture and supply the building materials that are used throughout our communities.

September Sizzler Trade Event

Founded in 1989, the Hot Sausage Company (a family business based in Ipswich), returned to grill their famous sausages from 10am – 2pm. “At the Hot Sausage Company, we take great pride in being a well-run business that uses only top-quality ingredients for our tasty hot dogs.”

Visitors took part in a prize draw “To Win a Weber BBQ” which was collected on the day and the #StickWithACO target game returned for customers to compete to “Win Their Height in Beer” (just in time for the weekend) 🎯

September Sizzler Trade Event

There was exciting demos from RUBI Tools, various displays and plenty of giveaways throughout the day. Customers were able meet the team, take advantage of trade deals and talk projects directly with the suppliers.

We were joined by top suppliers: Azpects, Bradstone, Pavestone, Long Rake Spar Co, ACO Group, RUBI Group, Cladco Profiles, TIMCO & Sika.

“Thank you to all the suppliers and customers who came along to our September sizzler at Collier & Catchpole Ipswich branch today. Alice Collins, Carl Holder, gareth walker, Steve Palmer, Glynn Jefferies, David Hobrough, Darren James” – Karl Flintoff, Commercial Manager, Collier & Catchpole

“Thank you Karl Flintoff and all at Collier & Catchpole for inviting Timco. Really enjoyed the day” – Gareth Walker
Merchandiser for TIMCO in South East

“Many thanks for the opportunity to be there” – Steve Palmer, Installer Development Manager – Pavestone UK Ltd

“A pleasure Karl great marketing as always from you guys Louise Parkes top effort 👏👏👏” – Carl Holder, Regional Business Consultant at TIMCO

Thanks to the involvement of both suppliers and customers, the September Sizzler was more than just a trade event; it was a community-building experience. Watch this space for future events for more opportunities to network, explore the latest products & tools, and for the chance to take part in fun competitions.

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#StickWithACO 2.0: The DIY Target Game

When our #StickWithACO pens first arrived, we didn’t search for a piece of paper to test the quality of the ink — We threw one at the nearest window! The pen stuck to the window in a clean swoop, wobbled and made everyone laugh, and it was in that moment that we discovered why these pens were so important to our merchandise collection.

target game

Our “stick to almost any surface” pens have quickly become a hit with our team, customers and suppliers. So, we created a new and exciting addition to the campaign: a target game using the #StickWithACO pens as darts 🎯

How to play:

With the pen nib and ink removed, the challenge is simple — Throw 10 #StickWithACO pens and see how many you can stick to the Collier & Catchpole x ACO Group target.

Well done Karl Flintoff for putting our new game together. We are excited to roll out our new game at next event. Make sure you are there to take on the challenge and see how many pens you can stick to the board for the chance to win your height in beer.

target game

Target Game DIY Project duration:

  • 10 minutes to build the wooden frame
  • Approx 62 minutes to get the sticker on the whiteboard (without any bubbles)

Building materials:

  • 4 lengths of 3×2 CLS Timber
  • TIMCO C2 Screws (100mm)
  • Old white board
  • Custom A0 self-adhesive sticker

Tools:

  • Handsaw
  • Power drill
  • Tape measure
  • Large format printed sticker (we got some help from The DS Group with this)
  • Squeegee (to smooth the sticker to the board, fairy liquid helps with this)

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New Co-Branded Travel Cups with Brett Martin!

Our new co-branded travel cups in partnership with Brett Martin are here. With the colder months around the corner, we have the perfect solution for landscapers and builders wanting to keeping your favourite drinks warm while on-the-go.

Our new cups feature a unique design that showcases both the Collier & Catchpole and Brett Martin brands, a symbol of our strong partnership

Thanks to Brett Martin’s support, we are excited to offer our new travel cups free of charge to our customers, while stocks last. Simply visit us in-store to collect your cup.

cups
cups
brett martin cups

About Brett Martin

“Well-designed drainage products and layouts are known to have a massive impact in creating healthy and sustainable environments within which we all live, work and play.

Designed to last a lifetime our products help to create better environments for us all. Our underground drainage systems are designed to provide the installer with maximum choice, flexibility, ease of installation and long-term reliability.

Founded in 1958, we remain a family business dedicated to continued growth with our original values still core to everything we do. Our people are the force behind Brett Martin and their vast experience across every function in the business drives this team to meet the ever changing needs of our customers.

Driven by these values we are working together to develop new ideas, enhancing the products and services we offer to markets around the world”

Here’s to hot drinks on-the-go this winter with Collier & Catchpole and Brett Martin! Free coffee and Hot Chocolate available in-store, Colchester, Lawford and Ipswich ✨

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Guess the Eggs Easter Competition

Our latest in-store competition at Collier & Catchpole was all about guessing — and chocolate! We launched our “Guess the Eggs“ game, where customers had the chance to win a giant bespoke chocolate egg, one for each branch.

guess the eggs
guess the eggs

Guess The Eggs! The big reveal — there were exactly 70 mini eggs in the jar! We received a fantastic range of guesses, but a few lucky winners came closest to the mark and took home their bespoke chocolate egg.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part and had a laugh making predictions.

Thanks again for your support, and enjoy your chocolate eggs, winners! Keep an eye on our socials and in-store for future challenges.

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Celebrating 25 Years of Dedication: Mark Willis’ Work Anniversary

Our success is built on the hard work and dedication of our team, and few people embody this better than Mark Willis, who is celebrating 25 years with the company this month.

This remarkable milestone speaks volumes about the kind of workplace we strive to create—one where people not only feel valued but choose to stay and grow with us long term.

mark with the ipswich team

Mark was presented with a custom-made mantel clock featuring a special engraving to commemorate the occasion, and he also became the second person to officially receive a 25-year service celebration badge.

Reflecting on his time here, Mark says, “25 years, who would have thought it? Not me that’s for sure, not in 1999. However, 25 years is what it is, and I have a lovely clock and a long-service pin to prove it. I have generally enjoyed my time here at Collier & Catchpole, and with retirement not too far away, I look forward to the years to come.”

Mark clock
mark 25 year badge

Mark’s quarter-century journey with Collier & Catchpole began in 1999, and has become an integral part of the team. His dedication is a testament to our commitment to fostering a positive, supportive working environment.

We pride ourselves on being a company where employees feel empowered, valued, and motivated to build long-term careers. Mark’s milestone reminds us of the importance of nurturing these relationships, 40 years is a significant amount of time, and we’re proud to have him as part of the team.

With long-serving, passionate employees like Mark, you can trust that Collier & Catchpole is built on expertise, experience, and a strong sense of community. Here’s to another 25 years, Mark—thank you for being part of our journey!

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Custom Badges To Celebrate Employee Milestones

We’re excited to unveil a collection of five bespoke pin badges, designed in-house by our very own Jasper Smathers. Each badge represents a different service milestone: 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years.

“Recognising our employees is not just about awards and bonuses. It’s about celebrating the dedication and hard work that make Collier & Catchpole a great place to work. Thank you to every member of our team for your contributions” says Tim Rowbottom.

Custom enamel badges and a thank you card will be awarded on the date of employee milestones, in honour of their dedication and commitment. With many of our employees having been with us for more than a decade, and our longest-serving member completing an impressive 41 years, recognising their loyalty is important to us.

In a world where job-hopping is common place, our efforts to create a supportive and rewarding work environment are paying off.

Over 50% of our team has been with us for five years or more, and we’re proud to have 22 employees with over five years of service, 11 over 10 years, eight with over 15 years, and four with over 20 years service at Collier & Catchpole. These milestones are a testament to the positive work environment we strive to maintain.

As we work hard to consistently improve and develop our service and product offering — our focus remains on building a supportive and appreciative workplace.

5 badges
10 badges
15 badges
20 badges
25 badges

Explore our range of high-quality building materials available for delivery and collection in Colchester, Ipswich, and Lawford, and see why our employees choose to stay and grow with us.

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Collier & Catchpole Wins NBG Award for Most Engaged Partner

We are thrilled to announce that Collier & Catchpole has been awarded “Supplier Voted Most Engaged NBG Partner (1-9 Branches)” at the National Buying Group (NBG) Gala Dinner in Liverpool.

NBG Award

This award is a huge achievement for us, as it highlights the importance of working in partnership and collaborating with suppliers to ensure that we deliver the very best products and services to our customers. We have always believed that successful relationships are the key to success in the merchanting industry, and this recognition proves just that.

NBG Award Tour Ipswich

Our win at the NBG Conference is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, but also to the suppliers who have supported us throughout the year.

NBG Award Tour Colchester

We are also incredibly grateful to our customers who continue to support us and share their feedback. The comments we receive on Trustpilot highlight the high level of service and quality that we strive to maintain. We’re proud of our excellent reviews and work every day to ensure we meet and exceed expectations.

NBG award tour Lawford

Well done to everyone at Collier & Catchpole, and a special thank you to our suppliers and customers for your continued partnership and trust. Here’s to more success in the future.

For more information on our products and services, or to read more reviews from our satisfied customers, visit our Trustpilot page or head to our website to browse our extensive range of building materials, all available for delivery or collection.