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PEOPLE 10 MINUTES WITH: Sales Director, Minster


What is your current role and how long have you been doing it?


In one guise or another, I’ve been leading the sales side of Minster since 2005, when Saint- Gobain acquired my business and merged it with the Minster brand.


What does your role entail? It covers everything you’d expect in a busy sales role, but my greatest satisfaction comes from developing and nurturing the team around me. Being a ‘career maker, not a career breaker’ has been my mantra for a long time.


How did you get started in this industry? I was just a lad at 17, I started as a warehouseman for an insulation distribution business and after a short while found my feet in sales and it’s where I’ve stayed.


What roles were you doing before and how did they prepare you for this one? My sales responsibilities have grown over the years, but my preparedness comes back to the


simple fact – the customer is first and without them you don’t have a business. Always have a detailed customer plan.


What would you like to achieve in your role?


Right now, under the new STARK Group ownership, it’s making sure we take advantage of every new resource available to us. As I’ve already mentioned, I deeply care about my team and I get a massive buzz from seeing them progress their own careers, staying focused on that is a personal priority.


What has been the highlight of your career so far?


I’ve got a few but the stand out is setting up my first business at 22 and being the overall winner in the building distribution CORE 100 awards in 2006. A very proud moment to meet Peter Hindle MBE.


What do you see as the main issues for builders merchants and for the construction industry at the moment?


It’s still a vey unpredictable market, but prices are beginning to stabilise. Having a robust plan, for all economic eventualities, is hard going but critical.


If you could go back to the start of your career, what piece of advice would you give yourself?


Rome wasn’t built in a day, just slow down a bit.


What keeps you busy at the weekends? Love a good walk, the Northumberland Coast and the Lake District are both easily reached from my home.


If you’re at the bar – what are you drinking?


A cold beer, ideally in a hot country.


What’s your favourite book? Anything by James Herbert or Stephen King


Favourite film? The Green Mile BMJ


ON THE MOVE


UK and Ireland specialist paving and building products company, AG, has appointed James Jack as head of sales for Scotland. Most recently he was account manager at Keyline, but has also been head of commercial sales for GB at a manufacturing company and spent 13 years at Jewson where he held a range of senior sales positions. Stephen Gallagher has joined the company as digital marketing manager from Christies Direct where he was responsible for supporting the firm’s growth strategy through the creation of quality content, advertising and managing


customer relations. Mark Toole’s new role for AG is specification consultant. He has spent the last seven years working as a senior project consultant for Marshalls, and prior to that held various managerial positions including a key account manager for Charcon.


10


Oliver Cole is the latest addition to the Stelrad brand specialists team, responsible for being the face of Stelrad through the merchant branches. He has taken on responsibility for the East Midlands and East Anglia region of the country. Before joining Stelrad Cole was a high level cycle racer, riding for teams in Europe, mainly in Spain but riding in Belgium and Holland as well.


Grant Westfield has appointed John Mortimer as its new managing director. Mortimer joined the manufacturer in 2019 from the Formica Group and has spent four years managing the


sales and marketing teams.


Highbourne Group has appointed Robbie Bell, who spent almost 10 years in a similar role at Screwfix earlier in his career, as its new CFO. Bell replaces interim CFO


Harvey Ainley and begins work immediately plumbing, heating and renewable energy company. He joins from Holland & Barrett, where he was also CFO.


Encon has appointed Chelsea Campbell as its new regional fire protection manager for London and the South East. Campbell has over 10 years’ experience in the construction


industry having previously worked with major brands in account management.


Häfele UK has announced Richard Curtis as its new managing director. Curtis joined the company earlier this year and brings with him more than 20 years’ across


manufacturing and distribution businesses connected with the building products and lighting market sectors.


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net August 2023


REECE BAILES


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