JW Filshill appoints Kieran Dhinsa new business development manager

Glasgow-based wholesaler JW Filshill is strengthening its KeyStore business support with the appointment of Kieran Dhinsa as business development manager.

Kieran, who was in an Epos and sales support role at Filshill prior to his promotion, brings vast experience to the business having worked in his family-run KeyStore in Mauchline, Ayrshire. He also previously worked as retail development manager at The Federation of Independent Retailers.

Craig Brown, chief sales and marketing officer at JW Filshill, which relocated to a new purpose-built distribution depot and headquarters earlier this year and services 220 KeyStores, said: “Kieran is ideally placed to work with retailers and help them develop their businesses as part of the KeyStore and Filshill family. Not only does he bring a genuine passion and enthusiasm for retail, he understands the dynamics of family businesses.

“We’re delight he is part of the business development team, working with our experienced business development managers Roy Williams and Rab Paton to grow our KeyStore estate by recruiting ambitious independent retailers who want to embrace technology within their businesses.

“Having such a strong and experienced business development team in place as more retailers choose KeyStore as the best solution for achieving increased profit and margin gives us confidence in stimulating growth for our brand and customers in a competitive convenience marketplace.”

Ayrshire-based Kieran commented: “The retailers I am speaking to are very keen to adopt new ways of working and growing numbers are realising that technology can help them save time and become more efficient. The retail world is changing and we need to keep up with it.

“Filshill’s new premises at Westway Park in Renfrew are ‘next level’ for the wholesale sector and are already helping us grow the business – it’s exciting to be part of such a sophisticated operation that is raising the bar for the industry and retailers across Scotland and the north of England.

“My family still own KeyStores – our first store was in Mauchline and was the first purpose-built KeyStore in Scotland when it opened in 2004 – and when I am on the road introducing retailers to the KeyStore brand, I can share with them my own family’s experience and success and their reasons for choosing the brand.

“Filshill is a long-established family business with a clear vision for the future that puts its staff and customers very firmly at the top of the growth agenda.”

Filshill, one of Scotland’s oldest independent food and drink wholesalers, saw turnover increase to £203 million – up 2% from £199 million – in the year ending January 31, 2023.

The wholesaler, which relocated from Hillington to Westway Park near Glasgow Airport in March, recorded gross profit of £19.4 million, up from £17 million, while net assets increased to £18.9 million compared to £17.1 million the previous year.