PEOPLE 10 MINUTES WITH: CRAIG HALPIN Group technical sales manager at Beesley & Fildes
What is your current role and how long have you been doing it? I’m the group technical sales manager for Beesley & Fildes, an independent, family- owned builders merchant. It’s a newly created role at the company which I’ve been doing since April 2024. I was formerly the sales manager for our Huyton branch.
What does your role entail? I oversee all the technical sales departments within Beesley & Fildes. As these cover such a wide range of trades including construction, civil engineering, landscaping, joinery, plumbing, kitchens, bathrooms and roofing, it’s my job to tie them together and identify opportunities for cross selling. For our customers, this approach ensures
a more streamlined service. I provide a single point of contact to help co-ordinate their needs across the different departments and offer technical support. This could include design guidance using our in-branch software as well as advice on the latest building regulations and how this could affect their product choice.
How did you get started in this industry? After spending six years in the Royal Navy, I left in 2014 not knowing what I wanted to do. I didn’t feel like I had any transferable skills but spotted a flyer for a counter sales job at a builders merchant and decided to give it a go. It was my first step into a customer facing role and I worked my way up from there.
What roles were you doing before and how did they prepare you for this one? Before being promoted to group technical sales manager, I held several different roles which have all helped to create the skills and knowledge needed for my job.
When I first joined Beesley & Fildes, I went
from working on the counter to an internal sales role before taking over the management of a small design department for our engineered timber services. It was here that I learned how to use CAD software to help generate designs and quotes for customers. I then gained experience at a timber engineering company where I worked my way up to design office manager. After that, I dipped out of the merchant industry, moving into retail where I worked for a kitchen company managing its showroom design teams. Although this helped to broaden my skills I missed the building industry so around three years ago, I returned to Beesley & Fildes where I was appointed sales manager for the Huyton branch.
What would you like to achieve in your role? As my role is a new one, there’s an opportunity to drive positive change at Beesley & Fildes that benefits the business and our customers. My overall aim is to ensure all our different departments work collectively as one big team, maximising sales opportunities while providing the best possible service to our customers. What has been the highlight of your career?
Having changed career in my twenties, my
Joni Beal, marketing manager at Alsford Timber and Builder’s Merchant has been appointed as the new Sector Chair of the BMF’s Marketing Forum. A professional marketer for
16 years, Beal gained wide-ranging experience in industries including outdoor living, manufacturing and property before bringing her skills to the building materials sector in 2020.
Beal has a deep interest in brand strategy and is passionate about helping companies to understand the strength that cohesive marketing can add to their business.
10
Aircrete manufacturer H+H has appointed Mark Walker to the role of Regional Account Manager – Private Housebuilding. He will be focusing on the vibrant market
in the South of England, supporting projects throughout Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and into the South West.
Mark joins H+H with over 35 years’ experience in the industry and is well versed in the building products arena having worked predominantly with builders’ merchants, most recently on the account management side.
highlight has been my progression in the merchant industry. Working my way up from the counter to managing all the technical sales departments at Beesley & Fildes is something I’m really proud of. This hard work also contributed to me being named a Top 100 Achiever by the Builders Merchant Federation (BMF).
What do you see as the main issues for builders’ merchants and for construction?. Merchants and the wider construction industry are still battling with rising costs, labour shortages and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. At the same time, more customers are shopping online which is increasing competition among merchants. All these challenges mean merchants have to move with the times, including adapting their sales strategies to meet changing market and customer needs.
What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your career? Take every opportunity you’re given to develop and grow so you can broaden your horizons and make the most out of your career.
What keeps you busy at the weekends? My weekends are spent with my family. I have a 15-month-old son who keep me very busy.
What is your favourite book, film and album?
Book - The Sixteenth Round; film - The Revenant; album - Because of the Times by Kings of Leon. BMJ
ON THE MOVE
Keylite Roof Windows, has appointed Joan Esmann as fnance director to continue to drive financial and operational success. Joining the business with
25 years of experience across a variety of industries, including the building materials sector and pharmaceutical, Joan is keen to support Keylite’s vision for future growth as well as empower her team. Having previously worked for a division of
CRH’s European infrastructure business, she was business systems director – supporting ERP implementation.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2024
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
