A BUSINESS which has grown to be one of the largest wholesalers of catering, janitorial and care products in the south is marketing 30th anniversary.

Comax UK has unveiled a new showroom as part of its anniversary celebrations.The company, based in Ringwood, started in Bournemouth as Coffeeman Disposables, where it was based in a small industrial unit in Boscombe and delivered goods in a single van.

The business took on extra warehouse space and grew year-on-year, providing next day delivery to Hampshire and Dorset for a rapidly growing range of catering and janitorial products.

It later moved to Poole’s Nuffield industrial estate and then to Ringwood in April 2017.

It employs more than 70 full-time staff and has 24 vans and a portfolio of more than 30,000 products. Its customers are in industries including hospitality, commercial cleaning, care and schools.

Managing director Graham Moakes said: “Comax is 30 and stronger than ever.

“This is a huge achievement and we wouldn’t be where we are today without our brilliant suppliers, customers and team members.

“At milestones like these, it’s amazing to look back at where we have come from, but so important to keep looking ahead.

“Our vision for the future is to continue building on our great customer offer but also to keep sustainability at the forefront of our goals. We want to ensure we’re making the right choices for the future not just for now. We are committed to net zero by 2050 and we’ll be working hard to deliver sustainable solutions for our customers.”The business’s new customer consultation area is called the Juniper Tree, offering a bar and seating area as a place for the sales team to help customers, featuring ranges of tableware, glassware, sustainable packaging and cleaning supplies.

Comax said juniper trees are “a fabled symbol of a great journey, having taken many twists and turns but remaining true to yourself, never compromising your integrity” and were “great reflection of the founding principles of Comax and the inspirational team both past and present”.

Comax says it has maintained strong supplier relationships in order to provide market-leading quality products and invested in staff to ensure the best customer support.