F. BALL APPOINTS NEW SALES


MANAGER F. Ball and Co. Ltd. has appointed Karl Brannigan as national sales manager, following the promotion of Darren Kenyon to sales director last year.


In his new role, Karl will oversee the management of F. Ball’s UK sales team and relationships with over 130 wholesalers across the UK and Ireland to drive distribution of the company’s products. This includes supporting the company’s area managers and team of regional technical representatives, who provide advice, training and on- site assistance to flooring contractors, wholesalers and retailers to enable them to get the most out of F. Ball’s subfloor preparation products and adhesives.


Karl joins F. Ball from Instarmac Group, where he gained over 17


LIKEWISE EXPANDS REACH WITH A&A


CARPETS ACQUISITION UK floorcovering specialist Likewise plc has acquired Manchester-based A&A Carpets Ltd, a distributor of residential flooring to retailers in the north west of England.


Likewise Chief Executive Officer, Tony Brewer, said: “The acquisition of A&A is another step in developing Likewise into a meaningful player in the UK flooring market. It significantly increases our presence and logistics capability in the north west.”


In his role as general manager, Chris


IVC SUPPORTS DOMOTEX ASIA


POSTPONEMENT The organisers of Domotex Asia Chinafloor, Shanghai, which was scheduled for 24-26 March, have announced the postponement of the exhibition until further notice, citing the Coronavirus outbreak in the region. Set to participate in the event with The Gathering, IVC Group is in full support of the decision.


Jan Vergote, CEO, IVC Group, said: “It is of primary importance that we consider


twitter.com/TContractFloors


years’ experience in on-site support, business development and sales management; most recently as national sales manager, meaning he has the advantage of previous flooring industry experience as well as sales and leadership skills.


Commenting on his appointment, Karl said: “I feel very grateful for my previous experience, but the chance to work in a leading role at such a highly regarded company that is the market-leader in an industry that I love, doesn’t come along very often, so I am delighted to join F. Ball as national sales manager. I’m looking forward to using my skills and experience to explore new opportunities for market development and provide flooring contractors with the next generation of products for achieving professional results when installing floorcoverings.”


Hailing from Birmingham, where he lives with his wife and two children,


Melling will be responsible for A&A, reporting to Tony Brewer. Likewise director Adrian Laffey will initiate the product development and marketing, in conjunction with Chris Melling and Tony Brewer.


A&A Carpets Ltd’s unaudited sales for the 12 months prior to 31st December 2019 were £8.6m, with unaudited pre- tax profit of £100,000. Likewise paid £853,770 for the business, subject to verification by completion accounts.


Since its formation and first acquisition in 2018, Likewise has made now made five further acquisitions in addition to establishing four new businesses. Annual sales revenue generated by a sales team of 61 people is now well


and protect the health of our employees, colleagues and wider communities. We fully support the organiser’s decision to postpone Domotex Asia Chinafloor to a later date and look forward to being able to bring The Gathering to Asia.”


Manufacturing carpet tiles, LVT and heterogeneous vinyl in Europe, IVC Group produces over 180million m2


of flooring


on an annual basis and sees significant growth opportunity in worldwide markets. Developing branded goods as well as partnering on private label products, the manufacturer has built a reputation for innovative products and reliable service.


Karl’s interests outside of work include supporting his local football team Birmingham City F.C., horseracing, cricket and spending time with friends and family, including his dog Frank.


www.f-ball.com


in excess of £60m. This is supported by distribution centres in Dewsbury, Manchester and Sudbury, with service centres in Glasgow, Newcastle, Daventry and Peckham.


With the benefit of new trucks being delivered, the group will have 55 commercial vehicles providing residential and commercial flooring customers with a next-day service.


The business was founded by the former directors of Headlam Group plc, Tony Brewer and Andrew Simpson, and the Likewise board also includes non-executive chairman Paul Bassi and chief financial officer Roy Povey.


www.likewiseplc.com


“Our first thoughts are with everyone affected by the virus and we hope for a united response that sees its impact minimised,” said Jan Vergote. “We operate on a global stage, but our heart remains in bringing floors designed and made in Europe. The significant advantage our European production brings, not only in terms of low impact production but also in the fast development of unique products for all markets, ensures that we can be a trustworthy and reliable business partner, no matter where you are in the world.”


www.ivcgroup.com NEWS | 07


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54