Frank Key
Frank Key is an independent UK builders' merchant and plant & tool hire operator founded in 1907, running 16+ branches across the East Midlands and Yorkshire. It serves trade professionals and DIY consumers with building materials, equipment hire, skip hire and kitchen, bathroom and landscaping showrooms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1907
- HeadquartersNottingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Frank Key does
Frank Key Group Limited is an independent UK builders' merchant and equipment hire operator headquartered in Daybrook, Nottingham. Founded in 1907 by Mr Frank Key, the company has built a regional network of 16+ branches spanning Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire and West Yorkshire, combining building supplies branches with plant and tool hire branches and dedicated showrooms (Kitchens & Bathrooms, Home Solutions, and Patioworld by Frank Key). The business serves two principal customer segments: trade professionals (builders, contractors, landscapers) who purchase bulk materials and rent equipment through credit-based trade accounts, and DIY consumers who purchase through branches and the e-commerce storefront.
The product range spans general build supplies (cement, aggregates, plasterboard, lintels), bricks and blocks, civils and drainage, roofing and insulation, timber and joinery, tools and workwear, decorating and hardware, plumbing and heating, and outdoor and landscaping. The technology stack is a traditional e-commerce platform with branch-level inventory management, click-and-collect, online ordering and trade account portals, supported by an owned delivery fleet that includes crane vehicles and Moffett trucks for site placement within a 25-mile radius of branches.
The revenue model combines transactional one-off materials sales with recurring rental and credit-trade revenue: building materials sales across categories, plant and tool hire on daily/weekly terms, skip hire for waste management, trade accounts with 30-day invoicing, and showroom-led discretionary sales in kitchens, bathrooms, log burners, bedroom furniture and landscaping. Go-to-market is a hybrid physical and digital channel: branch network, showrooms, e-commerce, dedicated trade account managers and a fleet of branded delivery vehicles, with content marketing and social channels feeding demand from both segments.
Frank Key firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Frank Key
- Legal name
- Frank Key Group Limited
- Website
- https://frank-key.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1907
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Frank Key is an independent UK builders' merchant and plant & tool hire operator founded in 1907, running 16+ branches across the East Midlands and Yorkshire. It serves trade professionals and DIY consumers with building materials, equipment hire, skip hire and kitchen, bathroom and landscaping showrooms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Frank Key industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Builders Merchant and Building Materials Retail
- NAICS
- Building Material and Supplies Dealers (4441), Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444)
- SIC
- Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction, Home Improvement & Building Materials Marketplaces (CRAFABAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Construction, Hardware & MRO Supply Clubs (Trades/Contractors) (CRAEAEAG)
Keywords
Where Frank Key is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nottingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices16 records
Markets served
Frank Key business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Building Materials Sales: Sale of building supplies including bricks, blocks, timber, cement, aggregates, insulation, plasterboard, metalwork, roofing materials, civil products, and general building materials through branches and online
- Plant & Tool Hire: Rental of construction equipment, tools, and machinery to trade and DIY customers with daily, weekly, or longer hire periods
- Skip Hire: Waste management services through skip hire for construction and renovation projects
- Trade Account Program: Monthly invoicing with 30-day payment terms for trade customers, providing consistent recurring revenue through credit relationships
- Showroom Sales: Sales through Kitchens & Bathrooms showrooms and Home Solutions showroom for interior products including log burners, stoves, fireplaces, and bedroom furniture
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Trade Account pricing with exclusive rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Frank Key product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Frank Key is a regional builders merchant selling building materials, construction products, and home improvement supplies through 16+ branch locations and an e-commerce platform across the East Midlands and Yorkshire. The company complements product sales with plant and tool hire across 15 hire branches, skip hire waste management services, dedicated showrooms for kitchens, bathrooms, and landscaping, and trade account services offering 30-day payment terms with dedicated account management. It serves both trade professionals and DIY consumers with categories spanning cement, bricks, timber, roofing, plumbing, tools, landscaping, and kitchens/bathrooms, supported by a delivery fleet with crane vehicles.
Product overview
Frank Key is a building materials supplier and builders merchant operating a one-stop-shop model for trade professionals and DIY customers. The company offers a comprehensive range of building supplies across multiple categories including General Build (cement, aggregates, plasterboard, lintels, insulation), Bricks & Blocks, Civils & Drainage, Roofing & Insulation, Timber & Joinery, Tools & Workwear, Decorating & Hardware, Plumbing & Heating, Outdoor & Landscaping, and Kitchens & Bathrooms. Supporting the core product categories, Frank Key provides complementary services including Plant & Tool Hire (through 15 branches), Skip Hire, and dedicated showrooms such as Patioworld for landscaping and Home Solutions for interiors. The company also offers trade account services with payment terms and delivers products via a dedicated fleet with crane and Moffett vehicles. Products are sourced from established suppliers including Expamet, WEMICO, Everbuild, Bostik, Forterra, and British Gypsum.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sinbad: Nottinghamshire plant and tool hire brand acquired by Frank Key in 2012, operating under the Frank Key Group umbrella.
- Patioworld
Products and services
- General Build Building Supplies Core building materials including cement, sand, aggregates, lintels, plasterboard, metalwork, DPC/DPM, wall ties, ventilation products, and construction chemicals for trade and DIY customers.
- Bricks & Blocks Facing bricks, engineering bricks, brick slips, reject bricks, and building blocks supplied from brands including Forterra and Carlton for construction projects.
- Civils & Drainage Underground drainage, concrete and clay drainage products, manhole covers, steel reinforcement, geotextiles, and linear drainage systems for civil engineering and construction projects.
- Roofing & Insulation Clay and concrete tiles, slate roofing, lead flashing, roofing felt, PIR insulation, multifoil insulation, roof windows, and ventilation products for roofing projects.
- Timber & Joinery Carcassing timber, machined softwood, sheet materials (plywood, OSB, MDF, chipboard), doors and stairs, flooring, timber mouldings, and melamine boards.
- Tools & Workwear Power tools, hand tools, power tool accessories, ladders, cement mixers, PPE, workwear, footwear, wheelbarrows, tool storage, and testing equipment for trade and DIY.
- Decorating & Hardware Paint, wallpaper, fillers, sealants, adhesives, electrical accessories, lighting, locks, ironmongery, shelving systems, and smart home devices.
- Plumbing & Heating Copper fittings, push-fit plumbing, MDPE pipe, central heating radiators, boilers, cylinders, underfloor heating, sanitaryware, bathrooms, and brassware.
- Outdoor & Landscaping Natural stone paving, porcelain paving, concrete paving, block paving, artificial grass, decking, fencing, garden walls, edgings, rural supplies, and weed control products.
- Kitchens & Bathrooms Flat packed kitchen units, kitchen appliances, worktops, sinks, taps, bathroom suites, basins, baths, showers, toilets, and related accessories with showroom design services.
- Plant & Tool Hire Equipment hire including excavators, access equipment, power tools, compaction equipment, and construction machinery for daily, weekly, or longer hire periods across 15 plant and tool hire branches.
- Skip Hire Waste management solution through skip hire services for construction and renovation projects.
- Patioworld Outdoor Landscaping Centre Dedicated outdoor landscaping and paving showroom showcasing premium paving options, landscaping materials, and garden features at Brookfields Garden Centre, Nottingham.
- Home Solutions Showroom Home improvement showroom featuring log burners, stoves, fireplaces, bedroom furniture, and quality flooring options.
- Trade Account Services Trade account services offering 30-day payment terms, trade-only prices, tailored credit limits, dedicated account manager, and ability to transact in branch or online.
- Delivery Services Delivery service within 25-mile radius of branches using crane vehicles and Moffett trucks, offering custom delivery time slots and next-day delivery options.
Companies that use Frank Key
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Frank Key technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Frank Key partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.
- Brookfields Garden CentreminorPartnership hosting Patioworld by Frank Key at Brookfields Garden Centre on Mapperley Plains, providing dedicated outdoor landscaping and paving display centre.
- Banson Tool HiremajorStrategic acquisition that extended Frank Key's reach in the tool hire sector, strengthening capabilities across Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire.
- Charles Watson (Ironmongery)majorAcquisition bringing ironmongery expertise and product range expansion, adding unique strengths to the business.
- Clower & SonmajorAcquisition that contributed to Frank Key's most successful year of acquisitions in 2015, significantly extending reach across multiple regions.
- SinbadcoreAcquired Sinbad, a Nottinghamshire plant and tool hire brand, strengthening Frank Key's position as the premier independent hire company in the region and expanding equipment range and services.
- The Builders Centre (Sheffield Branch)coreAcquired the Sheffield branch of The Builders Centre, enhancing Frank Key's presence in Sheffield and enabling a wider selection of tools, materials, and support for local tradespeople, businesses, and DIY enthusiasts.
- Local Community (Bulwell and Somercotes)minorExpansion into Bulwell and Somercotes communities, bringing Frank Key's customer service to additional local areas in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
- Timmermans Garden CentreminorPartnership for dedicated landscaping centre showcasing paving, decking, and garden features with expert on-site advice for trade and DIY customers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves14 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Frank Key competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wickes: UK home improvement retailer offering kitchens, bathrooms, timber, and building materials with both DIY and trade channels. Comparable showroom-led (Kitchens & Bathrooms, Home Solutions) model and DIY/trade dual customer approach.
- Bradfords Building Supplies: Family-owned UK builders merchant based in the South West with branches across Southern England selling building materials and offering kitchens/bathrooms. Comparable independent regional builders merchant model with similar heritage positioning.
- MKM Building Supplies: Privately held UK regional builders merchant with over 100 branches, serving trade and DIY with building materials and kitchens/bathrooms. Highly comparable regional rollup model with similar product mix and trade account offering.
- Huws Gray: UK builders merchant group with branches across Wales, the Midlands, and Northern England selling building materials, kitchens, and landscaping products. Comparable regional scale, geographic overlap in Northern England, and similar builder's merchant value proposition.
- Gibbs & Dandy: Saint-Gobain-owned builders merchant operating across the Home Counties and East of England with building materials and kitchens/bathrooms showrooms. Comparable builders merchant + showroom model and trade account offering.
- Screwfix: Kingfisher-owned UK trade and DIY retailer with 800+ branches and a leading click-and-collect e-commerce proposition. Closely comparable on trade account service, click & collect, and tool/hardware product overlap with Frank Key's general build and tools categories.
- Selco Builders Warehouse: Grafton Group-owned trade-only builders warehouse with branches across the UK offering building materials and timber at trade prices. Directly comparable trade-focused model with similar product categories and target customer segments.
- Jewson: Saint-Gobain-owned UK builders merchant with a national branch network offering building materials, kitchens, and tool hire. Closely comparable to Frank Key across product range, trade focus, and branch-and-yard distribution.
- Ridgeons: Independent family-owned builders merchant in East Anglia with branches selling timber, building materials, and kitchens. Comparable regional independent builders merchant with similar trade/DIY mix and family heritage positioning.
- Travis Perkins: UK's largest builders merchant operating hundreds of branches selling timber, building materials, and tool hire to trade and DIY customers. Directly comparable to Frank Key's builders merchant + plant & tool hire dual model and trade account proposition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
Frank Key social profiles
Digital presenceFrank Key financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Frank Key leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Frank Key subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Frank Key funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frank Key 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 Frank Key
What does Frank Key do?
Frank Key is a regional builders merchant selling building materials, construction products, and home improvement supplies through 16+ branch locations and an e-commerce platform across the East Midlands and Yorkshire. The company complements product sales with plant and tool hire across 15 hire branches, skip hire waste management services, dedicated showrooms for kitchens, bathrooms, and landscaping, and trade account services offering 30-day payment terms with dedicated account management. It serves both trade professionals and DIY consumers with categories spanning cement, bricks, timber, roofing, plumbing, tools, landscaping, and kitchens/bathrooms, supported by a delivery fleet with crane vehicles.
Is Frank Key a public or private company?
Frank Key is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Frank Key founded?
Frank Key was founded in 1907. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Frank Key based?
Frank Key is headquartered in Nottingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Frank Key make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Building Materials Sales are the primary driver. The others are plant & Tool Hire, skip Hire, trade Account Program and showroom Sales.
Who are Frank Key's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wickes, Bradfords Building Supplies, MKM Building Supplies, Huws Gray, Gibbs & Dandy, Screwfix, Selco Builders Warehouse, Jewson, Ridgeons and Travis Perkins.
Does Frank Key have an API?
No public API is recorded for Frank Key.
What industry is Frank Key in?
Frank Key's product category is Builders Merchant and Building Materials Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFABAO, Construction, Home Improvement & Building Materials Marketplaces, with a secondary code of CRAEAEAG, Construction, Hardware & MRO Supply Clubs (Trades/Contractors). Its NAICS code is 4441 and its SIC code is 3531.