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DISTRIBUTOR PROFILE | CDUK


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1&2. Corian Primo in Smoke Drift 3. Corian in Golden Onyx colourway 4. Corian Primo bespoke round basin


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fabricator in a day to create the specified product. This recent development has only been in place for a couple of months and was a natural evolution of the business.


Education


Educating the market about Corian has always been a top priority for the company, as when Geoff introduced Corian to the UK, nobody had any idea how to work with it effectively or even what it was. Education about the product has to begin on day one – training for fabricators, to ensure that every piece of Corian is perfectly made, and for retailers selling the features and benefits of Corian.


Stock You cannot sell what you do not have. This has been a phrase that Geoff has stuck by throughout as he built the CDUK business and so they ensure there is always stock in the warehouse ready to ship.


In a bid to prepare for what may happen post-Brexit, there has been a concerted move to increase stock levels across the KBB industry and CDUK is no different. The company has upped its stock by £1 million, meaning there is £5m worth of stock ready to ship at a moment’s notice.


Technical expertise You could be fooled into thinking that CDUK is just a distributor, but it prides itself on being more than that. It’s more like a marketing and technical training company that happens to sell the product too. This shift in mind-set means they are there to help the customers and the retailers and they are about providing the tools and the technical knowledge to sell their product.


Retailer relationships


The company is built on traditional values and the face-to-face, straight-talking way CDUK speaks to its customers seems to work. When discussing the easiest way to sell CDUK products, Geoff bluntly tells me that there were no tricks or magic. He explains: “At the start, something in me said: ‘sell the benefits’. There is nothing clever about this. It is all common sense.” So it is all straight talking from their side, but what do they require from their retailers?


Geoff says he is looking for retailers that can communicate 66 4.


well and are willing to learn more about the features and benefits. He would also like someone who goes above and beyond. He says: “Dealers who believe in the product are more likely to go the extra mile to make sure that their customers get everything and that the Corian worktop is the best part of this.” Gary backs him up in this: “A good dealer for us knows that displaying Corian allows them to explore their design capabilities. Designers use us to promote their creativity as a way to catch people’s eyes and draw people into the showrooms because they are offering something unique.” CDUK is always open to adding value to the company, which was part of the catalyst to expand its portfolio. Air Uno cooker hoods and products from the 1810 Company portfolio – including its Axix sinks – have been usefully added to its line-up in the past 15 years.


It is quite common with family businesses that they don’t have a short-term view – they are not in the business of making a quick quid but about creating a legacy that can be passed down. CDUK is the same in this respect, as the company is constantly looking to the future. Gary says: “Even in the early years, dad had had a long-term view on things, so we have never done things for a quick sale. We always make decisions based upon investing in the future. A lot of what we do now, we don’t see the benefit of until 16 or 18 months down the line.” This long-term view has served the company well over the past 40 years, as it doubtless will for the next 40!


kbbr kbbreview · September 2019


We always make decisions based upon investing in the future. A lot of what we do now, we don’t see the benefit of until 16 or 18 months down the line


Gary Baker, managing director, CDUK


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