n 2005, recognising that there was too much cost in the supply chain, Advantia struck out on its own again and had a ground-breaking deal with Spicers, branded ‘Supply Chain Fusion’, with
Spicers sourcing, stocking and distributing the Advantia brand, the first time a wholesaler had
this relationship with a dealer group
Frank decided it was time to move to pastures new, and so the dealers were given the opportunity to purchase the business. A new company was formed, Costs Consortium Limited, and a board of directors elected from the members. One of the first tasks of the new board was to find a replacement for Frank. Bob Geens was working for one of the key manufacturers in the industry. He knew the group well, threw his hat in the ring, and was appointed as CEO. Bob had a great capacity for providing a helicopter view of the industry and thinking outside of the box. A review of operations resulted in the business moving away from importing and stocking and instead becoming a shareholder in Europa Office, a company formed by 3 other dealer groups. Europa sourced, stocked and distributed the own-brand range of products, along with a white-label range.
Changes were taking place in the industry and one of the largest dealer groups folded. Advantia entered into discussions with a group of dealers, United, and a merger took place, and a new own brand was launched called Unique.
Never a group to standstill, Advantia considered how things could be done differently to take cost out of the supply-chain. After a full review and tender process,
an agreement was reached with o2o to provide a sourcing, stocking and logistics solution, meaning that dealers could follow a stockless model, getting rid of, or
freeing up space in their own warehouses, with o2o delivering directly to the dealer’s end-customer. Advantia, with their in-depth knowledge of the needs of
end-users, worked together with o2o to bring process improvements that brought benefits to both businesses. EVO’s purchase of o2o, in the autumn of 2014,
brought many challenges. In 2018, after a review and tender process, Advantia moved its business to Spicers.
Advantia and Spicers were working closely together to bring improvements when unfortunately, exacerbated by the pandemic, Spicers went into administration.
Advantia rebounded back and has entered into a new trading partnership with Exertis Supplies. In addition, during the Covid-19 pandemic, it has worked hard to
secure new and exciting partnerships with key manufacturers and service providers. Many of the manufacturers and suppliers are finding that our culture is very
much one of working in partnership. Advantia’s belief is that strong supply chain partnerships are a must.