comment GEOFF HOUNSLEASelf-employed marketing executive for the housewares industry On the Move
What’s been the biggest achievement of your career?
Owning my own company.
High point of your career? I like to think there have been many. Meeting a lot of great people on the way, developing products that have gone on to sell over a £1,000,000 in a year, and helping others to achieve their full potential.
And the low point?
Losing my own company was the lowest point of my career - I still find it hard to talk about.
Where were you? I was sales director for JWP for around five years and then became sales & marketing director for the next five years.
And how did you get there? I worked for JVL for six years and then joined Austin White - and after around two years I bought the company and became managing director. I ran the company for 11 years but sadly had to close it down. Austin White was the distributor for a number of big brands - Soehnle, Hailo and Rotho, for example - and at our peak had a turnover of over £5 million back in 2007.
I then worked for a year in the Far East
sourcing products for a major housewares company from the UK and a few major retailers. I was then introduced to [retired chairman at
JWP] Jim Wilkinson and joined JWP as sales director. In 2014 we were bought by the Meyer Group. I headed up this division for the last three years and we are a successful part of a much bigger global company. We distribute Lock&Lock, Lock-Eat,
Fusionbrands and have developed our own brands in the microwave range of cookware: good2heat and good2heat +. We also have two great ranges of collapsible food storage. These brands all come under our good2go logo.
And where are you now? I’m a self-employed marketing executive for the housewares industry but I remain committed to my previous employer JWP/Meyer in a part time non-executive role.
What’s been the biggest change since you became involved in the housewares industry? The internet.
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”I’m passionate about our industry”
During your time in the housewares industry, what products have impressed you most and why?
Lock&Lock food storage: fantastic quality products. I’ve been heavily involved with this brand for the last 10 years. We are the only company to my knowledge in the plastic food storage market to give a lifetime guarantee. I’ve also been heavily involved in the inception and launch of the innovative ECO range from Lock&Lock, which turns waste food grade plastic into food storage containers. This is so exciting as we all want to see the demise of single-use plastic. Although I personally cannot stand eggs,
Fusionbrands’ PoachPods are amazing: such a clever idea from [Fusionbrands co-founders] Kraigh Stewart and Anna Stewart, who got the inspiration to design them whilst looking at a waterlily in a pond. This product is still a massive seller.
Which housewares retailers do you most admire and why? There are so many so please forgive me if I don’t mention your company. Lakeland, Dunelm, The Range, Harts of Stur, Homestore + More and Morrisons spring to mind. All these companies have knowledgeable buyers and love innovation, design and quality. I would also recommend Potters Cookshop [at Hockley in Essex]. It was great to see them represent all
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HousewaresLive.net
that is good from UK retailing in Chicago earlier in the year [Potters Cookshop is the UK national winner of the 2019 Global Innovation Awards (gia) for Retail Excellence, sponsored by the International Housewares Association and US trade exhibition The Inspired Home Show, held annually in Chicago].
Name one change you would make to the housewares industry. I would like to see more buyers from our industry support UK trade shows.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the housewares industry? Don’t settle for second best.
What will you miss? I’m not leaving this industry: just a change in direction. I’m very excited about my new venture too. It will be very hands on, bringing new opportunities to put innovative products in front of buyers.
What won’t you miss? I won’t miss spending as much time stuck in traffic jams across the country. The roads are just getting worse and I’m going to be a lot smarter with my time.
What’s next? I’m currently preparing for my first trip to the Far East in my new role. I’m visiting my new client’s showroom, a number of factories and getting to meet my new colleagues. I’ve spent a lot of time in Asia but being honest, I’m feeling a little apprehensive - but massively excited at the same time.
Is it goodbye or au revoir to the housewares industry? Neither. More like: ‘Hello, I’ve never been away!’ I have exciting times ahead in both my work and private life. Working with my old colleagues at JWP - now headed up by the excellent Adam Kavanagh [Head of Division -JWP at Meyer Group] - and seeing some of the things I started come to fruition is great. When you’ve worked for a company like JWP it’s very hard to live and breathe it for 10 years and then just walk away. I’m still very much involved as a non-executive director behind the scenes. I also have an exciting opportunity which I intend to grasp with both hands. I’m passionate about our industry, I’m very product driven and I cannot wait to put new product in front of customers based on quality, innovation, design and at a great price. I’m one lucky man.
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twitter.com/Housewaresnews July/August 2019
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