Each issue, we ask a flooring industry professional 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Mark Sefton, General Manager of Milliken’s Floor Covering Division.
10 QUESTIONS WITH… Q5
What’s the best advice you could give to
someone new coming into
the industry? Look beyond price; all the best companies offer so much more whether it is design, performance, environmental credentials or superb service levels.
Q6
If you could be any character from film or TV
who would you be? Dr Who – he can keep reinventing himself/herself, and goes all over the place in both time and space.
Q7
Q1 Q2
Q3 Q4
What was your first job? Working in the chemistry
research labs for ICI. A wonderful starter for my career.
How did you get into the industry?
I joined Bonar Floors in 2002, well before the business was acquired by Forbo. Given the multi-product and very international nature of the business, it was a great company to work in as one’s first in the flooring industry.
What has been your proudest moment?
The opening of our Paris Studio a couple of years ago – one of those single events that is the culmination of great work over many years by a wonderful team of people.
If you could hire any one person to be part of your
team, who would it be and why? Anybody who is young, inquisitive, and full of energy, as they are the people who will shape our industry in the years ahead.
44 | 10 QUESTIONS
What do you think are the positive and negative
aspects of the flooring trade? It’s great to be in a position where we, in the flooring industry, can work collaboratively with a great range of people – from architects and designers to fitters and facilities managers. It would be good to see more diversity in the flooring trade. At Milliken we are always looking for positive ways to remove barriers and create a more inclusive environment.
Q8
What do you think the future holds for
flooring design? At Milliken we have become increasingly
Q9
aware how flooring can contribute to companies attaining the WELL standard for their buildings. We see this rising further up the agenda in the future. We mustn’t take our eye off the ball when it comes to the climate crisis. We all need to prioritise our responsibility to manufacture carbon neutral floorcoverings.
If you weren’t in flooring, what career
would you choose? Like many young people, I wanted to be a professional footballer. Later on in life, I would have loved to be a marketeer for Scotch whisky!
Q10
Keir Tweddle MD of Stauf Adhesive UK
Ltd. asked: What positives do you believe can be taken out of the current pandemic for the
flooring industry? Conscientious employers are more aware than ever that they need to invest in interiors to encourage the return to work and keep employees safe. This has led to an increased awareness of wellbeing and how floorcoverings can help achieve this.
www.millikenfloors.com
Check out next month’s issue to see what Mark Sefton asked our next industry professional.
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