Historic Sussex business clinches land deal to secure future

Family-run business, Bodle Bros Ltd, which has been supplying animal feed to local farms in the Mid Sussex area and grain merchanting for nearly 200 years, have secured their future for generations to come with the purchase of their premises with the support of commercial finance specialists, BIZL.

The supplier of animal, pet and equestrian goods started from humble beginnings as a corn and flour merchant in the 1830s from a windmill in Alfriston. In 1903 the business moved from a watermill in Plumpton into offices in the centre of Burgess Hill which they subsequently bought, and which remained their headquarters until a century later when they expanded to their current premises at Southdown Store, Cuckfield Road.

Now with 18 local staff and one of the largest stock holdings in the region of high quality brands for pet, equestrian and animal supplies all under one roof, Bodle Bros has had the opportunity to buy their premises, ensuring the long-term viability of the business and securing this important part of the local community. Helped by the momentum of the property purchase, a successful angling department has also been established.

The Sandercock family have kept the Company running and growing through many economic environments, having survived 2 world wars, depressions, recessions, foot & mouth disease and have now, by purchasing their site, placed themselves in a secure position to weather the economic storm that will no doubt follow the coronavirus pandemic.

Supported by BIZL, a specialist commercial finance brokerage, Bodle Bros were able to raise nearly 100% of the purchase price from a challenger bank and complete on the purchase in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. BIZL ran an extensive search from across the finance market to source market-leading terms from a digital challenger bank to enable Bodle Bros to realise their plans.

Speaking on financing the purchase, BIZL’s managing director, Josh Greenway, said, “Helping Bodle Bros take their next step forward and purchase their premises has been a really proud moment for us. The business has such a rich history and a great team, so to be able to be a part of their story is an honour. With Cvid-19 hitting right in the middle there have been some obstacles to overcome, including having to send the valuer out by bike to inspect the property as part of his daily exercise!”

Mike Sandercock, managing director of Bodle Bros said, “We’re really excited for this new chapter for Bodle Bros now that we own the site. We have a great business which I’m very proud of, and the purchase secures our future for years to come. It was great to be supported by the team at BIZL throughout the process. They took the time to really understand our unique requirements and sourced a lender that could offer extremely competitive terms so that we could purchase the site.”