The UK chemical distribution industry, a well-established, highly fragmented, subject to\nstrong consolidation and significant part of the chemical industry, is a major contributor to\nthe UK economy and employment. The ever increasing regulatory compliance requirements\npose a significant challenge to all companies in general but more so to SMEs which have a\nstrong presence in this industry. Even though there has been considerable research in the area\nof small business growth, best practices for SMEs in the chemical distribution industry are\nscarce. This is one of the few research papers that address this gap in knowledge in a case\nstudy context in the specific industry, arguing that a mix of inorganic and organic growth is\nthe best way to achieve growth. Findings suggest that the strategy depends on the vision of\nthe owner/manager, strategies in place, access to human resources and finance, past\nexperiences, industry characteristics and company structure. Despite the methodological\nlimitations of this study, this can be used as the basis for future research and to inform key\nstakeholders and policy makers.
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