"Working together and supporting the world in which we all live and operate really does provide a better way to do business!"

Arthur Burden OBE — Chairman

Burdens is a UK based company with over 50 depots throughout the UK and overseas with over 1,100 employee stakeholders. The company supply's products and services that have a direct impact on all our daily activities. These include utilities, infrastructure, construction and the environmental sectors. 

WT Burden was established in Birmingham by Wilfred Thomas Burden in 1929. The Vision and Values of the Company's founding families has had a significant influence on the culture of the business and its resultant ownership model. Read our story to find out more about the history of WT Burden.

Burdens Charitable Foundation helps good causes at home but chiefly in developing countries, recognising the important role that the charitable sector now fulfils in our own society and equally our responsibility to the creation of a fairer world. More…

Our vision

Leadership in the supply of utility, civil engineering, specialist construction and environmental products and services.

Our values

• Long term sustainable growth
• Employee share ownership
• Independence and innovation
• Respect and responsibility
• An environment that offers everyone the opportunity to achieve their full potential

What we do

Over the years the company has specialised in the movement of building and civil engineering materials developing core competencies in inventory, logistics, fleet and warehouse management. This expertise has helped in securing significant supply chain partnerships with the likes of B&Q, Welsh Water and Northern Gas Network.

"The key for DCWW was to have a supply partner who shared its vision of driving innovation and value through the whole supply chain."

Paul Beeslee — Dwr Cymru (Supply Chain Manager) Welsh Water

The company has invested substantially in customer service KPI implementation and monitoring, commercial and financial management, electronic trading, IT systems development, and purchasing and procurement expertise. Our wealth of core business strengths coupled with an ethical and co-ownership model help the company to provide long term sustainability.

At Burdens, administration and information technology go hand in hand, with the aim of reducing administration costs in the supply chain. Burdens can customise administration, accounting, purchasing and selling to suit individual supplier and customer needs.

Burdens depots have wide stock holding of Building Materials, Drainage Products, Hard and Soft Landscaping Materials, Pressure Pipeline Products, Waste Management Products, MEICA components, Tools and PPE.

Burdens stocks a range of environmentally safe and integrated natural building products including Insulation Materials, Ecological Building Systems, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Under Floor Heating, Green Roofs, Micro Power Generation, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, Water Treatment Systems and Water Management and Rainwater Harvesting Systems.

Our customers

Burdens' customer base includes major civil engineering and construction companies, housebuilders, local authorities and water PLCs. Whilst encompassing a wide range of specialist contractors and sub-contractors in the infrastructure support sector Burdens seeks to trade in a sustainable fashion employing Egan principles.

"Carillion are very happy with their relationship with Burdens. We rely on the supply chain for new ideas and as a stocking facility for us."

Chris Dyson — Supply Chain Director, Carillion

Market Sectors

Our success in supplying products and services into an expansive range of market sectors can be attributed to our ability to deliver innovative engineered solutions. Providing dedicated resources with expert technical support from our agricultural team through to our waste management experts. More…

Partner Companies

The company is organised into trading brands and partner companies, many of which are market leaders in their field, offering outstanding service levels to distinct customer groups. Partners such as Buildstore, Ecomerchant and Northern Tool + Equipment are widely renowned within our industry.