10 QUESTIONS WITH… Q4
Each month we ask a flooring industry professional 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Martin Curtis, Chairman, Wool Carpet Focus Group.
If you could hire any one person to be part
of your team, who would it be
and why? Vanessa Brady, President of the Society of British and International Design, because she is a business person extraordinaire and has design talents I could only wish for. Design has its place in every contract installation and also in every home, I would not be able to keep up with the sales!
Q5
Q1 Q2
Q3
What was your first job? I had a paper round, and I did
wool sorting to earn pocket money but my first proper job was an Economist at the British Wool Marketing Board.
How did you get into the flooring industry?
A lot of British wool types make brilliant carpets and rugs. As my role expanded into marketing and product development, I got more involved in the carpet sector. I was then invited to work as European Sales and Marketing Director for an overseas wool carpet manufacturer.
What do you think are the positives and
negatives of the flooring trade? We all need flooring and always will. There are some fantastic wool carpets out there and the designs and quality really impress me. The negatives are that some people will never have the opportunity to benefit from owning one because sometimes cheap and not so cheerful is an easier sell.
68 | PRODUCTS & SERVICES
What’s the best advice you could
give to someone new coming
into the industry? Believe in what you are doing and do not be put off by others who do not want to work as hard as you do.
Q6
If you could invent any product, what would it
be and why? Apart from finding a cure for any nasty disease, I would like to invent a time machine. I have a fascination with the future and sometimes can't get there fast enough!
Q7 Q8
If you could have a dinner party with any
three people, dead or alive, who
would they be and why? Family apart; Ayrton Senna, Tiger Woods and Margaret Thatcher. Because they are the best I have ever seen in their chosen professions.
What do you think the future holds for the
flooring industry? I look forward to more innovative designs, textures, colours and quality. There isn't enough wool in the world for everyone to be able to own a wool carpet but we can all aspire to own one. I think the future for wool in the flooring industry is bright, from commercial contracts to domestic households - the message is so good and honest, it must not be forgotten.
Q10
Gary Bridge, Design Director,
Axminster Carpets, asked: How will technology change
the way you work? I think communications are about to enter a new phase. Phones, WiFi, internet - there will be a sudden surge where we will find making contacts around the world far easier, quicker and cheaper. Virtual tours of installations, imaging, more accurate colour visualisations. Less need for expensive air and other travel and more productive time spent through the airwaves.
www.Woolcarpetsnaturally.org
Check out next month’s issue to see what Martin asked our next industry professional…
www.tomorrowscontractfloors.com Q9
What would you like to see in a future issue of
Tomorrow’s Contract Floors? A full scientific review of exactly what makes wool the best choice for carpets and rugs. Then to put that into easy terms that I can understand. We sometimes get too clever for our own good, make things too complicated. My best teachers were the ones who broke down complicated concepts into easy to understand bullet points.
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