Residents of East Dunbartonshire are being offered a 10% discount by a leading builders' merchant as part of a pioneering new partnership.
Grafton Merchanting GB has been awarded a contract to supply all of the Council's building, plumbing and heating, electrical and maintenance materials.
The five-year arrangement - which will be handled by the company's Buildbase and Plumbase branches - includes a 10% discount for all residents of East Dunbartonshire.
In addition to the community benefit, the contract will save public money, reduce waste and increase efficiency.
The partnership involves a hi-tech Managed Stores system, using mobile handsets with real-time stock updates to ensure materials are only purchased when they are needed.
Grafton is now responsible for providing the full range of construction materials to the council’s maintenance teams working on housing stock - such as kitchens and bathrooms - and general infrastructure, including street lighting.
Grafton will be giving the Council a greater choice of products and materials, including own-brand alternatives, in order to maintain quality but reduce costs.
Councillor Rhondda Geekie, Leader of the Council, said, "This pioneering partnership is a genuine win-win - not just for the authority, but for the whole of East Dunbartonshire.
"It's focused on helping the council to save money and remove waste from its maintenance and capital programme work.
"Real-time management information - delivered via mobile devices - means that colleagues are more likely to have the right stock at the right time - delivering a more effective service to tenants and residents.
"The ordering, replenishment and payment of stock will all be more efficient - saving time and money.
"Not only that, the agreement reached with Grafton includes the offer of a 10% discount to all residents. That means a saving not just for the public purse, but local residents direct."
The partnership creates a streamlined service which will replace the current stores at Broomhill. Good practice has been shared from similar schemes implemented in other local authorities.
Ross Cooke, Partnering Director (Scotland) for Grafton Merchanting GB, said, "We provide a combination of expertise and buying power to improve the management of building materials stock.
"Along with cost savings we can help the council increase its maintenance teams’ efficiency through managing the stock of products and materials in their fleet of vehicles."
East Dunbartonshire residents will be able to access a 10% discount by showing ID and a valid proof of address (eg utility bill) at the Glasgow branch of Buildbase - 528b Blochairn Road, Glasgow, G21 2DZ - and the Kirkintilloch branch of Plumbase - Unit 8-9 Eastside Industrial Estate, Kilsyth Road, G66 1QG.
The new contract is part of the Council's ongoing transformation programme to ensure it delivers the most effective services possible for its people and communities - as efficiently as possible.