Lamberts
Family-run industrial supplies distributor founded 1963 in Norwich, UK, serving engineering, plumbing, construction, and agricultural customers with 14,000+ products through e-commerce, field sales, and a physical retail counter.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersNorwich, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Lamberts does
Lamberts (Norwich) Ltd is a privately held, family-run industrial supplies distributor founded in 1963 in Norwich, England, serving engineering, heating and plumbing, process and construction, and agricultural customers across the UK. The company offers a single-sourcing supply package of more than 14,000 stock-keeping units spanning oils and greases, fasteners and fixings, pipeline solutions (pipes, valves and fittings in brass, copper, stainless steel, malleable iron, MDPE, plastic and press-fit), hand tools, power tools, and workwear and PPE. Its stated value proposition is consolidation — enabling customers to reduce purchase orders, invoices, payments and overall procurement cost by sourcing heterogeneous industrial requirements from one supplier, with next-working-day delivery across the UK.
The technology stack is conventional e-commerce and ERP rather than differentiated software. The business first accepted an online order on 15 January 2002, migrated to the OGL Profit+ platform on 1 July 2013, and in September 2018 launched a rebuilt e-shop 2 website with mobile optimisation, mega-menu navigation, quick-order, quotation requests, and a 'My account' portal. A proprietary customer part-number linking system, operational for over 30 years, maps each buyer's internal SKU into Lamberts' ordering, advice-note and invoicing workflow, and real-time pricing is served to logged-in credit-account customers. The firm is certified to BS EN ISO 9001:2015 (maintained since July 1989) and to Cyber Essentials.
Lamberts operates a hybrid go-to-market combining field sales, a physical retail counter at Whiffler Road (Norwich), and the online portal, with credit-account terms (typically 7–10 day approval) and monthly billing for B2B customers. Revenue is generated primarily through transactional product resale, supplemented by value-added services — custom ball-valve handle branding, in-house print and embroidery for workwear, and a bespoke design and project-management offering for Kee Klamp / Kee Safety tubular structures. Distribution partnerships span Kee Safety, Georg Fischer, Spirax Sarco, Ambersil, Milwaukee Tool (ONE-KEY), Starrett, Lindapter and Philmac, while REDG purchasing-group membership preserves independence and supports competitive procurement. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no subsidiaries and no M&A history.
Lamberts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lamberts
- Legal name
- Lamberts (Norwich) Ltd
- Website
- https://lamberts.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Family-run industrial supplies distributor founded 1963 in Norwich, UK, serving engineering, plumbing, construction, and agricultural customers with 14,000+ products through e-commerce, field sales, and a physical retail counter.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Lamberts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Norwich
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Lamberts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Industrial Product Distribution: B2B distributor selling industrial products including pipe, valves, fittings, hand tools, power tools, fasteners, lubricants, workwear and safety wear. Revenue generated through product sales to businesses via account terms or card payment.
- Credit Account Sales: Business customers can apply for credit accounts. Account application process takes 7-10 days for approval. Account customers receive login for online purchasing with negotiated terms.
- Print and Embroidery Service: Lamberts offers print and embroidery service for workwear and PPE, including branded hi-viz vests and corporate workwear.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for non-account customers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Negotiated account pricing for credit account holders |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Lamberts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lamberts is a family-run industrial supplies distributor based in Norwich, UK, established in 1963. The company stocks and distributes over 14,000 SKUs spanning pipes, valves, fittings, fasteners, hand and power tools, lubricants/oils & greases, workwear and PPE, and Kee Klamp structural fittings, sold through a B2B e-commerce platform, a physical counter shop, and direct sales with credit-account pricing.
Product overview
Lamberts is a family-run industrial supplies company (formed 1963) offering a single-sourcing supply package for over 14,000 industrial products. Their core offering is a B2B e-commerce platform that unifies access to their product portfolio, supplemented by in-person sales support. The product range is organized into six main categories: Oils & Greases (lubricants, compounds, paints, aerosols); Fasteners & Fixings (bolts, nuts, washers, screws, rivets, thread repair); Pipeline Solutions (pipes, valves, fittings across multiple materials including brass, copper, stainless steel, PVC); Hand Tools (abrasives, drill bits, files, hammers, measuring equipment, pliers, wrenches); Power Tools (corded and cordless tools, batteries, chargers); and Workwear & PPE (safety footwear, hi-vis clothing, jackets, protective equipment). Additional services include customized ball valve handles with company branding, print and embroidery for workwear, and bespoke design services for Kee Klamp tubular structures. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and provides next-day delivery across the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pipeline Solutions
- Fasteners & Fixings
- Hand Tools
- Power Tools
- Oils & Greases
- Workwear & PPE
- Kee Klamp & Fast Clamp Systems
- Print & Embroidery Service
- Online B2B E-Commerce Platform
- Counter Shop Sales
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced procurement costs through single sourcing
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Lamberts
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Lamberts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Lamberts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Kee Klamp (Kee Safety)coreLamberts is a leading stockist of Kee Klamp and Kee Safety pipe fixing products including handrails, guard railings, and storage racks. Offers bespoke design service and project management from start to finish.
- Georg FischercoreStockist of Georg Fischer piping systems and fittings as part of comprehensive pipeline solutions offering.
- Spirax SarcominorSupplier of steam engineering and condensate management products carried in stock.
- AmbersilminorStockist of Ambersil industrial maintenance and cleaning products.
- Milwaukee Tool (ONE-KEY)minorLeading stockist of compatible Milwaukee ONE-KEY power tools featuring integrated tool security and inventory management capabilities.
- StarrettminorStockist of Starrett tools. Hosted Starrett Van Visit Day events at Lamberts premises.
- PhilmacminorStockist of Philmac water management and pipe fitting products in pipeline solutions category.
- REDG (Research Engineering Development Group)minorMember of purchasing group ensuring competitive buying from major manufacturers while retaining independence.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lamberts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Screwfix: UK trade retailer of tools, plumbing, workwear, and fixings with extensive branch and click-and-collect network; directly overlaps Lamberts' hand/power tools, plumbing fittings, and PPE categories for trade buyers.
- RS Components: Global industrial and electronic components distributor with a strong UK trade business serving maintenance, OEM, and engineering buyers — directly comparable e-commerce-led industrial supplies model.
- IronmongeryDirect: UK online specialist in hardware, fasteners, fixings, and ironmongery — comparable e-commerce-led distribution model targeting trade buyers with rapid delivery across Lamberts' core fastener and fixing categories.
- Toolstation: Multi-category trade supplier of tools, plumbing, fasteners, and workwear targeting tradespeople with rapid local collection — competes for the same engineering/heating plumbing customer wallet as Lamberts.
- Plumb Center: UK plumbing and heating merchant serving trade installers — directly competes for heating-engineer and plumber accounts that are core Lamberts customer segments.
- City Plumbing Supplies: UK specialist distributor of plumbing, heating, and bathroom products with national branch network — direct overlap with Lamberts' pipeline solutions, valves, and fittings trade categories.
- CEF (City Electrical Factors): UK electrical products distributor serving trade electricians and contractors through a national branch network — shares the trade-distribution business model and target SMB contractor customer type with Lamberts.
- Cromwell Tools: UK industrial MRO distributor supplying tools, fasteners, PPE, and consumables to trade and industrial buyers via catalog and e-commerce — essentially the same product breadth and customer base as Lamberts at significantly larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- Wickes: UK home improvement retailer and trade supplier with overlapping ranges in plumbing, workwear, fixings, and tools; broader DIY orientation but competes for the same trade and SMB buyer purchasing decisions.
- Travis Perkins: Largest UK builders' merchant with a much broader building-materials portfolio (timber, bricks, kitchens, plumbing) but overlapping trade customers and a significant plumbing/heating distribution arm.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lamberts social profiles
Digital presenceLamberts compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Lamberts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lamberts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Lamberts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lamberts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lamberts
What does Lamberts do?
Lamberts is a family-run industrial supplies distributor based in Norwich, UK, established in 1963. The company stocks and distributes over 14,000 SKUs spanning pipes, valves, fittings, fasteners, hand and power tools, lubricants/oils & greases, workwear and PPE, and Kee Klamp structural fittings, sold through a B2B e-commerce platform, a physical counter shop, and direct sales with credit-account pricing.
Is Lamberts a public or private company?
Lamberts is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Lamberts founded?
Lamberts was founded in 1963. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lamberts based?
Lamberts is headquartered in Norwich, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Lamberts make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Industrial Product Distribution is the primary driver. The others are credit Account Sales and print and Embroidery Service.
Who are Lamberts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Screwfix, RS Components, IronmongeryDirect, Toolstation, Plumb Center, City Plumbing Supplies, CEF (City Electrical Factors) and Cromwell Tools. Broad incumbents are Wickes and Travis Perkins.
Does Lamberts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lamberts.