Coram
Appoints Key Account Manager for the North East
Coram
Showers
has expanded its sales team with the appointment of key account manager,
Alan Dryden. The appointment comes following the creation of a new sales
area in the North East, which has been formed to respond to growing demand
for Coram's shower enclosures, trays and bath screens across the UK.
Alan
Dryden joins Coram with considerable experience within the bathroom market,
including a previous sales role with Saniflo. Alan will be responsible
for managing Coram's existing and potential customer base in Cumbria,
Northumberland, Tyneside, Teesside and North and East Yorkshire.
Commenting on Alan's appointment, Keith McCormick, sales director at Coram
Showers said: ‘In addition to delivering a range of innovative shower
enclosure and bath screen designs, Coram is also committed to providing
a high level of customer service.
‘This latest appointment and reconfiguration of the sales regions,
will enable Coram to take a more focussed approach to existing and potential
customers, as sales of our high performance products continue to rise
considerably.’
Coram Showers specialises in the design and manufacture of shower enclosures,
shower pods, shower trays and bath screens. In addition to the new retail
range, Acora, the company's current range includes the Premier and Optima
ranges of shower enclosures, Waterguard Showertrays and a range of bath
screens. Designed for fast and easy installation, as well as watertight
performance, all Coram products are designed and manufactured at the company's
Bridgnorth factory in Shropshire and enclosures are power shower tested
to BS 6340 against leakage.
Tel: 01746 766466
Web: http://www.coram.co.uk
PWS
Announces New Sales Manager for Scotland
PWS has announced the appointment of Jim Stirrat as Area Sales Manager for Scotland. Jim has joined PWS following a successful career with brand-leading appliance manufacturer BSH Group where he was area manager for the Neff portfolio. Prior to this Jim worked for Kenwood for 18 years.
Comments
David MacArthur, PWS' National Sales Manager, 'Jim has gained extensive
knowledge of the kitchen market from his previous roles and his wealth
of industry experience will prove invaluable to PWS' long-term growth
strategy'.
Web: http://www.pws.co.uk
Graham
Ball Appointed as a Consultant to the KBSA
Tony
Nicholas, Chairman of the KBSA has
announced that Graham Ball has been appointed as a consultant to the KBSA
with immediate effect.
Tony
commented: ‘The KBSA is about to enter an exciting phase of substantial
growth and development. We are introducing ConsumerCare Plus into the
marketplace and have also announced today (15th November) a strategic
alliance with IBSA which will strengthen our bathroom presence considerably,
adding high quality bathroom retailers and major industry brands to the
KBSA membership.
‘The board is delighted that Graham has agreed to work alongside
the team at head office to support our continued growth and to enable
the association to maintain its position as the voice of the industry.
‘Graham will focus on new developments and review our membership
offer to ensure that the KBSA continues to provide valuable and tangible
benefits to both retail and corporate members.
‘Graham is well recognised and respected in the industry having had
an outstanding career with a number of top appliance brands. He is also
a former corporate chair of the KBSA and so understands well the challenges
that we face.'
‘I believe that the KBSA has an extremely important role to play
in our industry and I am very much looking forward to the opportunity
of contributing once again,’ adds Graham.
Web: http://www.kbsa.co.uk
ArtiCAD
Appoints New Training Manager
ArtiCAD,
developer and supplier of computer-aided design sales tools for the KBB
market, has announced the appointment of Cindy Serfontein as the company’s
Training Manager.
Cindy Serfontein has joined the UK office of ArtiCAD having worked for
the company for the past four years in South Africa, where she looked
after the client care and training needs of hundreds of sub-Saharan businesses
using ArtiCAD.
Cindy is looking forward to expanding the range of training and support
services which can be offered to the company's clients to help them get
even more out of their ArtiCAD and BathCAD software.
Theresa Turner, a director of ArtiCAD said: 'I am delighted to welcome
Cindy to the team in the UK. She has done a great job in South Africa
and is keen to introduce some exciting new services for our UK clients.
Over the past year, we have made some huge strides forward in the introduction
of innovative services. In particular, the new online training –
which allows clients to have one to one or group training via a secure
internet connection from their own place of work – has proved particularly
popular. I am confident that with Cindy as our new Training Manager, we
will continue to deliver new services which really help KBB businesses
to be even more successful.'
Tel: +44 (0) 1923 888101
Web: http://www.articad.cc
Cosentino
Appoints General Manager for Watford Warehouse
The
Spanish-owned Silestone quartz work surface manufacturer, Cosentino
has appointed Gavin Shaw as general manager for its Watford warehouse,
with specific responsibly for continuing to develop the popular Silestone
brand in the South of England.
After graduating with a degree in finance, Gavin worked for a stone fabricator
in the South of England, which worked with Silestone work surfaces. Gavin
feels that this experience gives him a greater understanding of what his
clients need and expect and allow him to meet and exceed their expectations.
Gavin Shaw, who will report into Cosentino UK MD, Christophe Gontier says,
‘Cosentino is a very modern and exciting company to work for. In
America and Spain, the company is a household name and our strategy is
to recreate this level of awareness in the UK. The Silestone brand is
well known in the South of England, but I hoping to develop existing relationships
with customers, as well as build new, lasting ones, allowing us to achieve
our goal.
'Silestone by Cosentino is the first and only quartz surfacing material
in the world, with patented Microban antibacterial protection. This helps
fight the growth of micro-orgasnisms and harmful bacteria which may be
on the surface, such as EColi, Salmonella, Listeria, Staphlococcus and
the MRSA superbug.'
Functional, beautiful and hygienic, quartz worktops are made from 93%
natural quartz crystals and 7% pigments, resin, mirror and glass. Only
three other natural minerals; diamond, sapphire and topaz are harder than
quartz. Scratch, stain, heat and scorch resistant, Silestone can be cut
and profiled to provide unlimited design options and is available in over
50 colours.
The Microban anti-bacterial technology is incorporated throughout the
structure of all Silestone Quartz products during the manufacturing process,
providing continuous protection, which cannot be removed or eliminated
during the lifetime of the product.
Tel: 08700 118 788
Email: uksales@silestone.com
Web: http://www.silestone.com
The
Bathroom Manufacturers Association
(BMA) has recently recruited school leaver Amy Dale to join the Association
as its new Administration Assistant.
Amy joins the BMA straight from school. She was looking for an opening
where she could build a career and receive ongoing training and support
in a dynamic industry.
As part of her induction, Amy will study the Bathroom Academy e-learning
programme at http://www.bathroom-academy.co.uk.
The Bathroom Academy is perfectly positioned to help all recruits within
the Bathroom Industry quickly get to grips with Industry language and
generic product information.
Speaking about Amy's appointment, BMA Chief Executive Yvonne Orgill says:
‘We're very happy to welcome Amy to the team. Her appointment is
indeed very timely. 2007 has been an incredibly busy year for us and we
certainly need the help and support Amy will provide.
‘The work of the Association is growing and we predict that we will
need to increase the team further in the future, particularly as environmental
issues come to the fore.
‘Anyone joining the Industry certainly has an awful lot to learn
and we're extremely lucky to have the Bathroom Academy, which is helping
to accelerate Amy's learning process, ensuring she is quickly up to speed.’
Commenting further on the benefits of the Bathroom Academy Orgill continues:
‘As an Industry we need to encourage school leavers and university
graduates to pursue a career in our sector.
‘We have to make opportunities look attractive and one way of achieving
that is by offering ongoing training and CPD programmes. In addition,
we must ensure the Bathroom Industry is well trained and professional
to meet the demands of future global competition.
‘All employers in the Bathroom Industry would do well to put their
new recruits through the Bathroom Academy. They can go at their own pace
and can quickly gain an overview of Industry products and issues.
‘Employers who do put their new staff through the Academy e-learning
programme report that confidence levels grow and new recruits settle into
their positions with greater ease and quicker than usual, which means
they become productive for the employer sooner than expected. That has
to offer a very cost effective win-win solution.’
The Bathroom Academy e-learning programme consists of a series of Generic
Industry Guides, workbooks and online testing. The Certificate in Bathroom
Studies, increasingly recognised by the Industry as a benchmark of excellence,
is awarded for successful completion of six Merits.
For further information visit: http://www.bathroom-academy.co.uk
or speak to Training Manager Phil Lumley on 01782 747 123.
Burbidge
Opens New Doors for Product Development
Burbidge
is boosting its product development capabilities with the appointment
of a product design engineer and a marketing assistant. The new
appointments are part of a strategic move which will see the company’s
current product development and marketing divisions brought together under
one umbrella, with a dedicated team working across both.
The new team will marry the creative and engineering skills of the designers
with the market and customer knowledge of the marketeers. With the
two elements working closely together, the company will be able to react
to new trends as soon as they emerge, so that customer demands are anticipated
and met swiftly and new ranges and accessories hit the street faster than
ever.
The kitchen frontals and accessories manufacturer is celebrating an impressive
140 years in the business, and says that strategic moves like this latest
reshape is one of the reasons the company has gone from strength to strength
for over a century. Ben Burbidge, managing director at Burbidge,
comments: 'The key to our success has always been moving with the
times and constantly improving the services we offer our customers.
This latest move will improve efficiency even further by creating a direct
link between product development and our sales team on the front line.'
Stephen Saunders has been appointed as product design engineer.
A graduate in design and technology, Stephen has a strong background in
engineering having worked as design engineer for kit car specialist, GTM
Cars. His in-depth manufacturing knowledge and engineering expertise,
together with his understanding of design, make him ideal for Burbidge’s
new team, where he will be translating cutting-edge designs into realistic
manufacturing plans.
Meanwhile, Kate Lily joins the team as marketing assistant. With
eight years as a design and development manager under her belt and further
time spent working as a stylist, Kate brings strong creative skills and
design flair to the table. In her previous roles she has designed
and launched products at a European level and worked with major brands
such as Marks & Spencer. Kate will also be using her experience
to support retailers and help develop a new customer communication programme
for Burbidge.
The new team will be headed up by marketing and product development manager
Joanne Sheehan. She said: 'We understand how vital it is that
retailers can offer their customers the very latest kitchen trends.
This reshape, coupled with our experienced new team members, means that
product development will run at the same fast pace as sales and marketing,
so retailers can rely on us to provide them with up-to-date kitchen fashions
before anyone else.'
The company’s products can be viewed in realistic room sets in its
showroom in Coventry. Please call 024 7667 1600 for further information.
Web: http://www.burbidge.co.uk
New
Appointments at East Coast Fittings
Continued
growth over the past year at East Coast Fittings
has resulted in a number of new appointments being made.
From left to right, Simon Noble joins as Communications Manager with responsibility
for IT and the development of IT marketing solutions; Martin Lander joins
as Area Sales Representative responsible for Buckinghamshire, Berkshire,
Middlesex, N. London & Wiltshire; Pete Lewis takes responsibility
as Key Accounts Manager for the Midlands & Southern England &
Wales; Robin Haynes joins as Human Resources Manager with his responsibilities
including personnel training & development; Graham Meehan takes up
the position of Area Sales Representative covering Northumberland, Cumbria,
Co. Durham, Tyneside & Cleveland. In addition Paul Murray joins East
Coast as Area Sales Representative for Cheshire, Merseyside, North Wales
& Shropshire.
Tel: 01664 424288
Email: info@eastcoastfittings.co.uk
Web: http://www.eastcoastfittings.co.uk
New
Kitchen Designer Appointed at Evitavonni
In
response to the continuing success of its bespoke kitchen design service,
home interior specialist Evitavonni
has appointed a new designer; Dean Newman.
Since joining Evitavonni, Dean has already developed a wealth of kitchen
design experience, having followed an extensive training programme with
Evitavonni suppliers such as SieMatic and Gaggenau. Dean has also studied
at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre in London, bringing to Evitavonni
a strong working knowledge of the latest design trends and techniques.
Prior to working at Evitavonni, Dean gained relevant experience in the
property development market, as well as a familiarity with project management
as a dealership manager.
The new flagship Evitavonni showroom can be found at 27 Station Road,
Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8AQ. For more information please email information@evitavonni.co.uk,
visit http://www.evitavonni.co.uk
or call 08700 66 33 05.
Lawcris
Promotes Mark to Head Buyer
Mark
Smith has been named the new Head Buyer at Lawcris.
Formerly a member of the company's sales team, he joined Lawcris in 2002
and worked his way up through the sales department before starting to
get involved in the purchasing process back in 2005 when he was asked
to become Lawcris' plywood buyer.
Mark, who lives in Ossett with his partner and young son, was given overall
responsibility for the company's procurement over the summer. ‘I
had always been interested in the buying side of the business and, having
solid experience on the sales side has been really beneficial,’ he
says.
In his new role as Head Buyer, Mark is responsible for ensuring that all
of the company's lines are in stock at all times. He has control of a
purchasing budget in excess of £1 million and manages more than
250 lines.
To further enhance his career Mark is now studying for a Chartered Institute
of Purchasing and Supply qualification in his spare time, fully encouraged
and supported by Lawcris.
Hal Eccles, Marketing Manager at Lawcris said: ‘We are delighted
to have been able to promote Mark to the role of Head Buyer. We set out
to offer our customers the best levels of service in the business and
ensuring that we have the right products in stock at any given time is
essential to meet growing customer demand.’
Web: http://www.lawcris.co.uk
Poggenpohl
Exports Management Flair
Poggenpohl
worldwide is set to benefit from the company's UK success. Martin Gill,
Managing Director of Poggenpohl Group UK, has been given new responsibilities
as Poggenpohl's Head of Global Retailing.
The new role, which will be in addition to Martin Gill's current responsibilities
in the UK, involves developing Poggenpohl's retail strategy worldwide
in particular the Poggenpohl-owned stores. The German luxury kitchen manufacturer
currently has 27 owned retail stores across the globe, including eight
in the UK.
The appointment follows the success of Poggenpohl UK's strategic retail
studio development in recent years. Since his appointment in 2001, Martin
Gill masterminded a programme of consolidation, acquisition and expansion
of the UK studios. He has also followed a campaign of targeted UK marketing
and close collaboration with the company's global brand marketing strategy.
All 32 studios in England, Scotland, Ireland and Gibraltar have adopted
Poggenpohl's dynamic +STUDIOCONCEPT format, increasing sales and reinforcing
the strong brand identity of Poggenpohl within the UK whilst improving
market awareness for all studios on a local level.
Commenting on his appointment, Martin Gill said: ‘I am excited at
the opportunity to influence Poggenpohl's success and direction on a worldwide
basis and hope to mirror the achievements made in the UK. Poggenpohl's
development in the UK market clearly shows how owned retail studios can
work together with partners and dealerships to improve brand awareness
and service delivery.
‘The arrangement provides a firm statement of commitment and a platform
of strength within the marketplace that assists brand and dealership development
whilst enhancing profits. This model will be key to my new responsibilities
as Head of Global Retailing at Poggenpohl.’
For further information on Poggenpohl kitchens telephone 0800 298 1098
or visit http://www.poggenpohl.co.uk
Aqualux
Expands Technical Team
Colin
Grey has been appointed to the position of Field Technician as Aqualux
expands its UK wide Technical Support Department.
Colin, 44, will co-ordinate a team of 10 regional product support technicians,
who conduct nationwide product training, customer visits, display fits
and exhibitions.
Colin joins Aqualux with a number of years' experience having previously
worked as an account manager for Homebase and Wickes.
The new appointment signals further growth for the expanding West Midlands-based
company which has been recently confirmed as the UK's volume supplier
of bath screens and shower enclosures by BRG Consult.
Speaking of his appointment, Colin said: ‘It's great to be developing
my career within a forward thinking company and I'm really looking forward
to the challenges involved. I'm excited about the new prospects for Aqualux
following the recent buyout and I'm delighted to be part of it.
‘I hope to use my past experience in similar roles to increase the
overall efficiency of the team by becoming more cost-effective, improving
reporting procedures and creating an industry leading customer and product
support service.’
Colin's new role is far removed from his previous five-year stint in the
Royal Navy during which he served in the Falklands conflict.
Web: http://www.aqualux.co.uk
Adam
Furniture Expands Sales Team
Adam
Furniture Group plc has further expanded its Sales team with the appointments
of Stuart Benson (near right) as National Sales Manager and David Dodd
as National Sales Manager (Bathrooms).
Stuart has over 20 years experience within the Kitchen industry, having
worked with William Ball and most recently Waterline.
David also joins from Waterline and has previously worked in the Bathroom
industry with Uptrend. They’re both looking forward to meeting customers
old and new.
Adam Furniture Group Plc, Fairfield Road, Droylsden, Manchester, M43 6AR
Tel: 0161 3708317 Fax: 0161 3704307 Mobile: 07969 876133 www.adamfurniture.co.uk
Eurobath's
continual rapid growth and investment in people has seen four new Sales
Managers join in the last month bringing the UK Sales Team total to 14!
The team is split into four divisions; Retail, Merchant, Specification
and National Accounts.
‘We are proud to boast about our successful, professional sales team
and we are particularly excited about the opportunities the team is creating.’
says Jim Williams Sales Director.
Tel: 01934 744466
Email: sales@eurobath.co.uk
Web: http://www.eurobath.co.uk
Lawcris
Panel Products has promoted Paul Holstead from Decorative Sales
Manager to Commercial Manager.
In his new role, Paul, who joined Lawcris in 2001, will continue to oversee
the internal and external sales team whilst working closely with the new
business development team to create and maintain relationships with the
company's growing customer-base.
Paul will also be responsible for developing Lawcris' supply chain and
procurement department.
Coming from outside the timber industry, Paul finds Lawcris a rewarding
environment in which to work. He said: ‘Lawcris is a dynamic place
which remains highly successful in an increasingly competitive and fast
moving industry. A diverse customer base with varied requirements means
no two days are ever the same.
Lawcris prides itself on implementing a pro-active business approach and
dealing with its customer's needs quickly and efficiently.’
He adds: ‘With the support of the Lawcris team, I am looking forward
to meeting the new challenges this new role will bring.
Web: http://www.lawcris.co.uk
Nobia
Appoints New Executive Vice President for Continental Europe
Per
Skårner (52) has been appointed new executive vice president operations
for Nobia's Continental Europe region, effective 1st January 2008. Per
Skårner joins Nobia from NFI Group, Switzerland, where he is senior
vice president of strategy and business development. NFI is a leading
European wood flooring company. His background includes roles as both
CFO and COO at NFI Group, Kährs Group, ABU Garcia, Grindex and ITT
Industries. Per Skårner is currently, and will continue to be based
in Switzerland.
The present EVP operations, Peter Petersson, will resign from the position
for Continental Europe at his own request and will assume other strategic
assignments within Nobia.
'I am pleased to welcome Per Skårner to the company. With his extensive
experience from different industries and thorough understanding of our
local markets, I am confident that he will further the development of
the Continental European region, which is an important area for Nobia,'
says President and CEO Fredrik Cappelen.
Web: http://www.nobia.com
Welsh
kitchen and bedroom manufacturer and retailer Sigma
3 has appointed a new branch manager at its Swansea showroom
on Phoenix Way, Enterprise Park.
Robin Payne joins the £18m a-year turnover company to help drive
forward the company's sales and add to the showroom's existing success.
The 36 year-old brings with him a wealth of experience working for large
national retailers and is looking forward to specialising in kitchens
and bedrooms.
Robin said: ‘Sigma 3 has an excellent reputation both in Wales and
now as the company has expanded into the south east of England the brand
is growing rapidly.
‘I'm thrilled to be part of such a fast growth company and it will
be up to me to further develop the team and showroom in Swansea. Each
branch has a responsibility to the overall success of the company and
I aim to make the Swansea showroom stand out by building on our excellent
customer relationships, and developing even stronger connections with
our local community.’
Mike Broomhall, Retail Development Director at Sigma 3, said: ‘Robin's
appointment has come at a crucial time for the company. As we are expanding
into England we need to ensure we have skilled managers and staff to continue
to build on the success of Sigma 3 in Wales. Robin is committed to helping
drive Sigma 3 forward and has a lot of passion for the industry.’
Web: http://www.sigma3.co.uk