Cavalier Bathrooms | MANUFACTURER PROFILE
From left to right: Matt Brown (sales director), David Ladley (finance
director), David Gannon (managing director), and Ben Greenwood (operations director)
The consultancy work Gannon did for Cavalier, therefore, was around how to create a unifying umbrella brand. The manufacturer had different routes to market and each brand has slightly
Cavalier Bathrooms:
key facts ● Turnover 2021: £33 million ● Forecast turnover 2022: £36 million ● Company employees: 201 ● Current retail partners: Over 2,000 ● Premises: 200,000sq ft of manufacturing and warehousing
● Items dispatched: Over 4,000 a day ● Stock holding: £6 million ● Manufactured output: Over 7,000 shower trays, bath panels and items of furniture
different characteristics. The workforce was split with a sales team that sold Aquadart and another that sold April. It was a case of never the two shall meet. Gannon says that this issue was overcome by
laying down clear and distinct brand values, engaging with and looking after customers. “It means there’s a ‘Cavalier way’ and so any brand you bring to market thereafter should fall under that. I did that piece of work and so was fortunate to be part of the company at that strategic level. I learned what makes us tick and what will make us different. And working directly with Rob and all the other colleagues who are still around. I’ve been able to absorb all the history, so when the opportunity came up to become managing director, it didn’t feel like a scary step. Instead, I feel excited and privileged.”
Gannon has no plans to sit back and put his feet up, however. It’s very much a hands-on approach. “My background is looking after key accounts and building relationships with customers. Some of which I’ve known for 25 years and who have become friends. Being out and in front of people’s faces keeps you real and your knowledge relevant. I think if you lock yourself in an office, you become quite isolated — look at Putin! It’s important not to get too distanced from what’s going on in the business. My challenge now is letting go of some of the stuff I was
We see retailers as a vital link in the relationship with the consumer
David Gannon, managing director, Cavalier Bathrooms
May 2022 ·
Elation Mito 750 wall-hung vanity in Indigo
doing before and taking on the wider responsibilities of a managing director.” In the early days, the manufacturing and assembly processes were mostly in the UK with some
European supply but now it’s more 50/50 UK and abroad, including the Far East. Although that’s something Gannon says the company is working on changing. “We’re seizing any opportunity to increase the amount of manufacturing we do ourselves,” he says. “So, we’re on a path to manufacture more, not less. And certainly, in recent times with the hit of the
rising cost of shipping containers and delays in supply from China, we’re supporting our own UK supply even further. We make all our shower trays here, as well as the bath panels, furniture, and some of the basins. The glass and brassware come from China.”
Even though some of these products and parts are made in China, the company has offices based in the Far East. The designs are still done in the UK and there’s a close working relationship with the team in China to ensure the designs are adhered to. Gannon explains: “We have factories that we know and trust who can match the specification and the consistency of supply. It’s all managed by the Cavalier team out in China. We have long-established relationships with factories, and we have daily communication with the team.” With such a large operation with multiple offices and sites, Cavalier, like many manufacturers, has had to make changes to the business when navigating through the Covid pandemic. But the business remains buoyant. “Things went crazy after the first lockdown,” explains Gannon. “When we came back the demand was unbelievable, and we struggled to keep up with that demand. It’s a lot calmer now and I think I can speak on behalf of many manufacturers when I say we have far more control now. So, the market is still buoyant, but it has slowed a bit. I think we have to wait to see the impact of the Government’s Spring Statement and last month’s energy price cap increase. If you look at those factors, including the rate of inflation possibly peaking at 8%, I think it could cause a slowdown. People might start making choices about where they are spending their hard- earned money.”
Despite its large size, Cavalier Bathrooms has retained that ‘family’ aspect of being a family-run company. In the past, there have been employees that have had long- term health issues, limiting their capacity to work, and Cavalier has kept those staff members on the payroll. It seems that the notion of family and taking care of your own is still very much valued in the KBB industry.
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