The company was joined by Tom Stoltman, the recently crowned “world’s strongest man”, and his brother Luke, a five-time winner of Scotland’s strongest man competition, for a special launch event this week.

Alongside officially unveiling the brand new branch, Tom and Luke held a meet and greet with local fans and even used the branch’s kitchen showroom to showcase the breakfast that led to them becoming champions – a mighty 20 eggs.

Luke Stoltman said: “As a local resident, it’s great to see independent businesses investing in Inverness and providing a service like this for local trades and the general public.

“MKM is a first-class facility run by extremely knowledgeable and helpful people, so it’s really going to add value to the area. Tom and I were delighted that we were asked to celebrate the official opening and have the chance to meet staff and customers alike.”

The new branch of MKM Building Supplies, the UK’s largest independent builder’s merchant, is headed up by branch directors Mark MacDonald and Graeme Macleod, who have worked together for over a decade and have a combined experience in the building and construction industry of over 50 years.

Mr MacDonald said: “Graeme and I have been given a fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity to open a facility that many builders and other tradespeople in this area wouldn’t have experienced before”.

“For us, it’s all about providing our customers with a best-in-class service offering, in a friendly and welcoming environment, delivered by expert and knowledgeable staff that have years of experience in Inverness and the wider region. It’s this commitment to service and our family ethos that we believe sets us apart from the competition”.

“We are absolutely delighted to be opening and look forward to welcoming customers through our doors. It’s an absolute privilege to have The Stoltman Brothers join us for the launch.”

Mr Macleod said: “The opening of MKM Inverness is something both Mark and I are extremely proud of. We’ve watched this fantastic facility being transformed and now it’s time to open the doors, bring jobs to the area and provide a service to the local community that is second to none.”

David Kilburn, founder of MKM Building Supplies, added: “Mark and Graeme are committed to making MKM Inverness the premier destination for the trade and general public in this area and I wish them and their team every success in making this ambition a reality.

“As a business, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding service levels, so we are extremely confident that this new branch will be a major hit and provide our customers with everything they want, at the right price, whatever project they are working on.’