FOUR generations of the Gompels family were present to witness the grand opening of their new warehouse and offices in Bowerhill on Thursday 4th July, opened by Michelle Donelan MP.
The company is one of the largest independent suppliers to care homes and children’s nurseries across the country.
David Gompels has been in Melksham since 1967 starting with a pharmacy in the centre of town, which is now run by his son Nick Gompels, and another at Spa Medical Centre.
A wholesale business started over 30 years ago when the pharmacy started supplying factories and care homes around Melksham. After expanding out of the Bank Street site to Corsham, the steady growth over the last 20 years saw the company move into Pegasus Way on Bowerhill and then Swift Way next to Knorre Bremse at the southern end of the Bowerhill industrial estate.
The company now employs 65 people at its Bowerhill warehouse and delivers to care homes and children’s nurseries across the UK. It has a product range that covers arts and crafts to nappies, gloves and wipes and containers arriving daily from places as far flung as China, India, Turkey and Vietnam.
The new offices and warehouse at Bowerhill is the third expansion on the site. The first starting in 2007, the second in 2010 and this latest stage that enabled the company to continue to expand and take in additional stock for Brexit!
Sam Gompels said, “You can’t imagine a care home without gloves and incontinence pads; we strive to look after our customers who are the old, the sick and the very young. Making sure we have the products in stock and ready for next day delivery is a challenge that our great team enjoy every day.
“Just under a third of the jobs are in the warehouse, the rest are in the office doing marketing, sales, purchasing, finance and customer service. People from Melksham can buy from the website at www.gompels.co.uk and get some great prices on everyday essentials.”
