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In this section we cover a little of the history of DHM and include;
OurEnvironmental and Quality policies, Environmental Credentials as well as ourConditions of Sale
| COMPANY HISTORY |
On September 1st 1919, three close associates took the biggest gamble of their professional lives hitherto by forming a new City of London paper merchant under the eponymous banner, Davies Harvey & Murrell.
Although the immediate aftermath of the Great War was hardly conducive to establishing new businesses, the three partners flourished in their endeavours and after just five years of trading, DHM moved to much larger premises in St Andrew’s Hill EC4. Soon after, our large fleet of box tricycles (quite revolutionary even towards the close of the horse drawn era) was replaced with innovative motor vans sporting a distinctive orange livery: a house style that is still very much in evidence today.
By 1930 a vast stock range had been established encompassing 22 proprietary watermarks and a huge selection of British mill brands including the now ubiquitous Conqueror. The sudden and untimely death of our young chairman Frank Murrell in 1931 meant Messrs Caxton-Davies and Harvey had to take up the reigns and it was their vision that provided DHM’s major breakthrough at the famous Olympia Exhibition of 1936. This showcase put DHM on the national map and several lucrative agencies were established as a direct result (most notably with Wycombe Marsh – a significant manufacturer of that era).
The Second World War cut a swathe through the business with many staff being called to arms. Tragically two lost their lives in action and several others were wounded. The blitz caused serious damage to our building on several occasions in 1940 and 1941 but by VE Day, Mostyn House as it was then known had been fully refurbished. Despite the austerity prominent in most of Britain following the war, the City of London recovered quickly and by the early 1950’s DHM was a major supplier to many organisations in the burgeoning banking & finance sector.
By the 1960’s the next generation of DHM directors was well established with Gordon Duncan and Cliff Goudie prominent amongst them. Investment continued and a second branch was opened in Hornchurch, Essex.
During the 1970’s several approaches were made to acquire DHM but the directors resisted preferring to retain independent control of a profitable business. In 1980 they became founder members of the ABC buying consortium, which later evolved into the much larger Network Group.
However by 1988, it became clear that the future lay in combining forces with younger like-minded people, in order to compete more effectively with the greater scale merchant operations being built up by several multinational manufacturers and merchants. So it was that in May 1988 fellow Network member, Atlantis Marketing, acquired DHM. The imminent end of the St Andrew’s Hill lease necessitated a move to modern premises in London SE1…a post code then common to a clutch of famous paper merchants.
The amalgamation of the two businesses under the DHM banner proved highly successful, and a further smaller acquisition soon followed. In 1992 DHM was invited to join AIMS, the UK’s largest consortium of independent paper merchants and soon after two DHM directors were appointed to the AIMS board.
In 1994, DHM celebrated 75 years in business with a gala customer & supplier day at the historic Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit where 120 guests were treated to first hand experience of the famous race track as well as some wild and wonderful off-road activities.
The emergence of our envelope business in the mid 1990’s contributed significantly to the company’s continued growth, so much so that we again outgrew our premises and another move proved inevitable.
Today DHM occupies a large warehouse and office complex in SE15, less than 2 miles from Tower Bridge.
| ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY | page top |
It is the policy of Davies Harvey & Murrell to ensure that papers and boards purchased both for stock, and in respect of specific customer requirements, satisfy the following criteria:
The papermaking fibre utilized in manufacture must originate from managed and sustainable forests, where the replanting ratio exceeds 2:1.
Such forests must have been certified by a relevant independent agency to ensure that the operating practices have been properly evaluated and certified (e.g. ISO 14001).
Conversion from wood through to pulp and eventually paper/board must be undertaken by mills which have positive and viable environmental policies in relation to emissions to land, air and water.
Such factory emissions must fall within the parameters required by the prevailing accreditation system (e.g. BS7750, Nordic Swan, Blue Angel etc.)
DHM also insists that any chemically bleached pulps contained within any paper and board products purchased, must be free of all elemental chlorine compounds and thereby be officially designated as either ECF (elemental chlorine free) or TCF (totally chlorine free).
DHM. April 1999.
| ENVIRONMENTAL CREDENTIALS | page top |
In February 2008, DHM attained certification for chain-of-custody under both the FSC and PEFC schemes. Copy certificates are available on request. The references are:
Forest Stewardship Council: FSC certificate number TT-COC-002593
Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification Schemes: PEFC certificate number BMT-PEFC-0516
| QUALITY POLICY | page top |
Davies Harvey & Murrell defines quality as conformance to agreed requirements.
It is our policy to always strive to provide defect free products and servicesto satisfy identified customer requirements.
Our philosospy is, and will continue to be, "to get it right first time, every time".
In this context, "IT" refers to: conformance to agreed requirements.
The consequent quality management system therefore concentrates upon the handling, storage, retrieval and delivery of specified products. As such it excludes the actual manufacture of the goods supplied.
For and on behalf of Davies Harvey & Murrell Ltd.
P.L. Guest
Joint Managing Director, October 1993.
| CONDITIONS OF SALE | page top |
| 1Preliminary |
(a) In these conditions:
(i) "the Seller" means Davies Harvey & Murrell Limited, their ultimate holding company, and any subsidiary.
(ii) "Goods" means any paper, board or any other goods and services agreed to be sold by the Seller under any particular Contract.
(iii) "Contract" means any contract for the sale of any paper, board or other goods or services by the Seller to any person, including any firm or company ("the Buyer").
(b) All Contracts shall be governed by these Conditions and no alteration to these Conditions in respect of any Contract shall be binding on the Seller unless it is in writing and signed by a duly authorised representative of the Seller.
| 2Paper and Board Trade Customs | page top |
Except where inconsistent with these Conditions all Contracts or the sale of paper and board shall be subject to the British Paper and Board Trade Customs for the time being in force, which are obtainable from the National Association of Paper Merchants. This Condition does not apply to any Contract for the sale of any Goods other than paper and board.
| 3Payment Terms |
Payment for Goods shall be due on or before the last day of the month following the month during which the invoice for such Goods is dispatched. Where payment is not received by the due date the Seller reserves the right to charge interest on the sum outstanding calculated at the rate of two and one half per cent above the base lending rate of Barclays Bank PLC from time to time accruing from day to day (but not including) the due date until (and including) the actual date of payment. Notwithstanding anything herein the sum outstanding shall become immediately payable if the buyer makes default in payment of any sum due under any other Contracts subsisting between the Buyer and the Seller.
| 4Quotations | page top |
All quotations and tenders are given by the Seller on condition that they do not constitute any offer of a Contract and that the Seller shall not be bound until he has communicated his acceptance of the Buyer's order and these Conditions. These Conditions shall prevail unless the contrary has been agreed in writing by the Seller.
| 5Representations |
(a) The Seller shall not be bound by any oral warranty made or representations given or purported to be given or made on its behalf unless it is confirmed in writing and signed by or on behalf of the Seller.
(b) No guarantee or warranty is given that Goods of any description are fit for the Buyer's purpose, and the Buyer must satisfy itself prior to entering into any Contract of their fitness for any purpose for which they are intended to be used.
| 6Price | page top |
(a) All prices are subject to market fluctuations. Accordingly, the price to be paid by the Buyer for any Goods shall be the Seller's price applicable at the date of despatch of such Goods.
(b) All prices are exclusive of Value Added Tax which shall be payable to the Buyer at the rate applicable from time to time.
(c) Payment shall be due and the Seller shall be entitled to sue therefore whether or not property in Goods has passed by virtue of Condition 8.
| 7Termination |
The Seller shall have the right (without affecting any other claim, or remedy against the Buyer) by notice in writing to the Buyer to terminate with immediate effect any Contract or to suspend delivery in any of the following events:
(a) if any sum owing by the Buyer to the Seller is overdue, whether under the same or any other Contract;
(b) if the Buyer is in breach of any term of the same or any other Contract;
(c) if the Buyer decides to enter into any composition or arrangement with or for the benefit of its creditors; or commits any act of bankruptcy; or receives any notice that a petition to wind it up is to be or has been presented or any notice of the convening of any meeting of the Buyer at which a resolution is to be proposed to wind up the Buyer (save for the purpose of re-organisation or reconstruction) or any notice that a Receiver or Manager is to be or has been appointed of its assets.
| 8Delivery, Property and Risk | page top |
(a) Subject to any agreement to the contrary in the Contract the Buyer shall be bound to accept delivery of Goods at its own premises when they are ready for delivery by the Seller.
(b) The Seller shall not incur any liability or obligation to the Buyer in respect of any failure to deliver or delay in delivery.
(c) The risk in Goods shall pass to the Buyer when they are delivered to the Buyer or to some other person on its behalf in accordance with its instructions
(d) Property in Goods will pass to the Buyer only when payment in full for such Goods (including any interest payable pursuant to Condition 3) has been received by the Seller.
| 9Supplemental Property Provisions |
(a) Until the occurrence of any of the events specified in Condition 7 the Buyer shall be entitled to:
(i) subject Goods to any process, addition or treatment in the ordinary course of its business, provided that property in such Goods as so processed, added to or treated ("admixed Goods") shall remain with the Seller until all sums owing from the Buyer to the Seller in respect of such Goods shall have been paid or until there has been a bona fide sale for value to a third party, whichever shall first occur; and
(ii) sell Goods and any admixed Goods and pass the property in the same to third parties in the normal course of business.
(b) In the event of any sale or disposition of Goods or any admixed Goods by the Buyer before payment for such Goods or admixed Goods has been made to the Seller, the Seller shall be entitled by notice in writing to the Buyer to require that the Buyer shall hold on trust for the Seller:
(i) (if such Goods have not been subjected to any process, mixed with or incorporated in or transformed into other Goods) the whole of the proceeds of sale or disposition; and/or
(ii) (if such Goods have been subjected to any process, mixed with or incorporated in or transformed into other Goods) the proportion of the proceeds of the sale which is equal to the price of such Goods under the Contract for their sale to the Buyer until payment in full for such Goods has been received by the Seller.
(c) Following the happening of any event specified in Condition 7:
(i) the Buyer shall thereafter have no authority to subject the Seller's Goods to any process, addition or treatment and/or to sell any of the Seller's Goods or admixed Goods;
(ii) the Buyer shall be obliged to pay the Seller all proceeds of sale received by the Buyer from sale of Goods; or the proportion of the proceeds of sale of admixed Goods, described in Condition 9(b)(ii); and
(iii) the Seller by its employees or agents shall be entitled to enter upon or into any land, buildings or vehicles of the Buyer to re-take possession of any Goods and any admixed Goods which remain its property.
(d) The Buyer shall notify the Seller forthwith of the happening of any of the events referred to in Condition 7(c).
| 10Warranty and Claims | page top |
(a) All conditions and warranties whether express or implied by statute or otherwise shall be construed subject to these Conditions and insofar as they are inconsistent therewith shall be excluded.
(b) The Seller warrants only that Goods are reasonably free from defects in material or workmanship on their delivery and, if stored under conditions which are reasonable, will remain so for a period of one year from the date of delivery (the "Warranty Period").
(c) It shall be the duty of the Buyer, before using the Goods and before parting with possession of the same, to test and examine such Goods in every respect.
(d) Any complaint of short delivery must be notified to the Seller within 24 hours of receipt of Goods and confirmed in writing at the time by the Buyer to the Seller. Any complaint of failure to deliver Goods invoiced must be so notified and confirmed within ten days of the date of the invoice.
(e) Claims in respect of any alleged damage to or defect in Goods delivered must:
(i) if the defect would have been revealed by normal examination of the outturn sheets, or by reasonable examination of such Goods on arrival, be made in writing within 14 days after delivery, or
(ii) if related to the transport of such Goods, be made within such time as will enable the Seller to comply with the time limits and procedures of any carriers by whom such Goods were transported, or
(iii) otherwise be made within the Warranty Period and within 14 days of any such damage or defect becoming apparent.
(f) If the Buyer shall make any complaint within the time stipulated the Seller shall, after it has had a reasonable time to investigate the same and examine the Goods in dispute and if the Goods are defective, at its option:
(i) replace the Goods, or
(ii) accept the return of the Goods and credit the Buyer with the price thereof, or
(iii) make to the Buyer an allowance representing the difference between the value of the Goods at the time of the complaint by the Buyer and the value they would have had if they had not been so defective (providing that the Buyer shall still be liable to pay the balance not in dispute according to normal terms).
(g) Other than as permitted by the Seller pursuant to Condition 10(f) Goods shall not be returned by the Buyer to the Seller without prior agreement, when the Seller reserves the right to charge 20 per cent of the invoice value of the Goods for handling costs.
(h) IDEM paper and/or board is not suitable for use and should not be used in conjunction with similar carbonless copy paper or board of alternative manufacture. Accordingly, if IDEM paper and/or board is used in conjunction with carbonless papers or boards of alternative manufacture all statutory and other warranties or conditions express or implied as to the quality of fitness of IDEM paper and/or board shall be and hereby are excluded and we shall have no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising or for any indirect or consequential loss of profits arising from such use.
| 11Limitations of Sellers Liability | page top |
Save for liability for death or personal injury arising the Seller's negligence (which is not excluded), the Seller's obligation to replace Goods, or to provide credit, or to make any allowance, as set out in Condition 10 shall constitute the full extent of the Seller's liability in respect of any loss or damage sustained by the Buyer whether caused by the breach of any Contract or by misrepresentation or by the negligence of the Seller, its employees or agents, or arising from any other caused by the breach of any other cause whatsoever and the Seller shall not be liable for any consequential, economic, direct or indirect loss suffered by the Buyer arising therefrom.
| 12Force Majeure, etc. |
If the Seller is hindered or prevented from performing any Contract owing to any Act of God, war, strike, government regulation or order, lock-out, fire, flood, drought, tempest, or any other cause (whether or not of a like nature) beyond the control of the Seller or owing to any inability by the Seller to procure materials or articles required for the performance of the Contract the Seller may at its sole option delay the performance of or cancel such Contract and the Seller shall not be held responsible for such delay or cancellation or any inability to deliver caused by any such contingency.
| 13Waiver |
No failure, delay or indulgence by the Seller to enforce any of the terms of the Contract shall operate as a waiver thereof or shall prejudice, affect or restrict the rights and powers of the Seller thereunder, nor shall any waiver or any breach or default of or under any of the provisions of any Contract operate as a waiver of any other breach or fault.
| 14Proper Law | page top |
Every Contract shall be subject to English Law. The Buyer submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts for the determination of any question or dispute, howsoever arising, between the Seller and the Buyer.
| 15Headings |
The headings contained in these Conditions are for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation hereof.
| page top |
