Cronex was founded during the early 1980’s and was originally located in the ‘Heart of England’ in the picturesque setting of the English Cotswolds region. Initially, its primary purpose was the export of automotive parts to the Caribbean. However, this soon gravitated towards supplying the retail plumbing sector.

During the same period, and little further north in the West Midlands, Rabo Merchants was launched. They initially offered Merchanting and Confirming services, eventually evolving into the direct export of predominantly builder’s hardware goods. In 1997 Rabo Merchants successfully introduced Electrical products into their core range offering, an effect which dramatically grew its business. Meanwhile, the Cronex brand was becoming a well-established name in its own right, with their plumbing and sanitary lines steadily increasing and customer relationships being built on firm foundations.

The turn of the millennium brought the two companies closer together to form a co-operative trading alignment, sharing market intelligence and bi-lateral trading initiatives to the mutual benefit and success of both parties. In 2006 CronexRabo Limited was born. After formally merging the two businesses, CronexRabo was able to offer an unprecedented selection of Plumbing, Hardware and Electrical products accompanied by a unified wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience in the export sector. 

During the next 10 years, CronexRabo was able to build upon its reputation of supplying premium quality products ably backed by a strong sales and customer service team. They launched initiatives such as the ‘Carl & Gilbert’ Electrical Accessories range, ‘Curved Air’ fans and ‘Argent’ lighting and fittings, whilst still maximising sales in product areas such as Pan Connectors, Taps, Cistern Fittings, Brassware, Plumbing Spares and Ironmongery.  

Their reputation and reliability to supply these products in the Caribbean and West African markets enabled them to establish a strong and dedicated customer base which still proudly remains to this day. 

The year 2016 heralded the acquisition of CronexRabo by the Thomas Dudley Group. CronexRabo's Cotswold site was closed and relocated to the Tipton area in the West Midlands, with the business effectively becoming the export trading division of Masefield-Beta Limited, (another member of the Thomas Dudley Group). Prior to this transition, Masefield-Beta and CronexRabo already enjoyed a long-standing trading relationship, and the merger became a natural and positive step forward for both businesses. Masefield-Beta offered a strong and committed U.K. manufacturing base capable of producing and delivering a wide range of plumbing spares to complement and enhance the Cronex range. 

Thomas Dudley celebrated their centenary year of trading by merging with Masefield-Beta in the January of 2020. Despite the global impacts of COVID, Cronex continued its expansion of both products and territories. Returning to brand prominence, the construction materials provided by Cronex are now underpinned by a wider and more specialist range of commercial plumbing and sanitary ware products that the Dudley, Epson and Beta brands offer. 

Clearer brand identification and an evolution of sustainable packaging improvements can already be seen, with a roadmap of products and services in development. 

Whilst Cronex has seen many changes over the past 40 years, the original core values remain the same; to provide quality products, professional standards and excellent service at all times