10 QUESTIONS WITH…
Each issue, we ask a flooring industry professional 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Mark Ellis, Product Manager, Tilemaster Adhesives – Kerakoll Group.
someone new coming into
the industry? From experience, my advice would be to just learn and listen. Learn the industry, listen to what is happening, learn how and where to make change and listen to how that change is received.
Q6 Q1
What was your first job? Apart from being a paper
boy, my first proper job was at The Tile Warehouse, Nottingham, working on the showroom floor, assisting retail and trade customers with products.
Q2 Q3 Q4
How did you get into the industry?
After working in ceramics for 15 years, I joined Tilemaster Adhesives and became part of the flooring sector just as the company started to become prominent in the industry.
What has been your proudest moment?
I’ve had several. Bringing new products to market with Tilemaster is something I am very proud of. Previous to Tilemaster I worked for Saint Gobain where I was recognised and awarded for my achievements. And of course, seeing how my children are growing up makes me proud every day.
If you could hire any one person to be part of your
team, who would it be and why? I know this sounds clichéd but I genuinely think we already have them. The team we have at Tilemaster – Kerakoll is a fantastic group of people that work incredibly hard for each other and our customers.
Q5
What’s the best advice you could give to
36 | 10 QUESTIONS
If you could be any character from film or
TV who would you be? One of my favourite films is Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I think, unfortunately, I am already too much like Steve Martin's character Neal Page and although some of these traits are important, I wish I could be more like Del Griffith, played by John Candy, with his eternal optimism. Perhaps a mash up of those two characters in one person would suit me.
Q7
What do you think are the positive and negative
aspects of the flooring trade? Personally, the togetherness and camaraderie within the industry is something I find very interesting. People always seem to have time for one another and to discuss different aspects without any negative connotations. I also think the CFA do fantastic work for the industry and are on point with what is affecting the sector.
Q8
What do you think the future holds for
flooring design? In terms of design, I’m not sure but I think the future is very bright. In my short time in the industry, I’ve seen advances in products designed specifically for the sector and I can only see this continuing. Certain flooring types such as LVT continue to grow in choice due to several benefits, of which design is a key influencer in the consumer’s decision making.
Q9
If you weren’t in flooring, what career
would you choose? I always wanted to be a teacher.
Q10
Mark Sefton, General Manager of Milliken’s
Floor Covering Division, asked: As lockdown eases what are you most looking forward to being
able to do again? Tilemaster-Kerakoll are very well known for being hands on as a business externally and showing the true benefits and performance of our products to distributors and installers. We like to showcase them so that people can have a go and physically see the performance of the product for themselves.
During lockdown, obviously we haven’t been able to get out and see people as we’d usually like but as things begin to ease, we will cautiously and safely begin to re-start these types of interaction. I know it is something our commercial team are looking forward to getting back into.
www.tilemasteradhesives.co.uk
Check out next month’s issue to see what Mark asked our next industry professional.
However, after helping to home school my children for almost a year, it is clear that is not a career route for me. I’d love to do something in property renovation. Since I bought my first house, I’ve learnt new skills simply by doing and having a go, and I consider myself pretty competent in certain aspects now.
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