A MAJOR reorganisation at the Northern arm of electrical distributors Newey and Eyre has led to the creation of 20 jobs.

The job creation has been sparked by the building of a 40,000sq ft central distribution depot in Stockton, as well as the opening and relocation of branches in the North-East.

Nationally, Newey and Eyre employs more than 4,000 staff in a network of 210 branches, supplying electrical components to electrical contractors in the public and private sector.

The Northern region of the company covers the North-East, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and across to Cumbria. It has 24 branches in the region, employing 330 people.

The new warehouse and distribution centre in Stockton supplies all the company's Northern branches, from the £3.5m worth of stock it carries.

Supplies are distributed overnight, timed to reach branches before 6am each day.

Newey and Eyre's regional director, Mike Hoppins, a former small business owner and business award winner, said the recent changes had been made to guarantee an "exceptional level of service to customers".

He said: "Having run a small company which competed against large nationals, we always knew that customers need brilliant service.

It is this type of service that we are now bringing to Newey and Eyre, with the extra benefits of huge stocks and lower prices.

"While we have always carried a lot of stock, we were sometimes not able to get it to our customers at the right time and in the right place.

"We have looked at the logistics and service issues, and recognised that perhaps we had failed to realise that they had moved on in recent years.

"The demands of customers had also moved on and we had gone as far as we could in meeting them."

As well as branch improvements, significant operational and administrative changes have been put in place by Newey and Eyre.

Customers using multi-branch supply have a single point of contact at the company; senior business managers have been appointed, business development and tele-sales teams have been set up, and quotation and tendering procedures have been streamlined.

"We are concentrating on customer focus and improving the way we are looking after our existing customer base," said Mr Hoppins.

"The depth and breadth of stock we carry at our Stockton distribution centre means that we can confidently offer a 24-hour service for any of the products in our catalogue."