ON THE MOVE • Sterling, the


distributor of taps and sinks has appointed Andrew Johnson as area sales manager for the South East. He joins the distributor from Perrin & Rowe


and Shaws of Darwen, where he was UK retail sales manager for five years.


• Encon Insulation & Nevill Long welcome Neville White into the business in a newly created role, Business Development Manager – Fire Protection, He has previously worked at Cape Boards,


Promat and Fire Protection Ltd.


• Bostik UK, the adhesives, sealants and building


chemicals supplier, has appointed Carl Millerchip as commercial director.


He joined Bostik in 2014 as a national account manager then head of sales – consumer. He moved into a European key account manager role, before more recently becoming country purchasing manager.


PEOPLE


10 MINUTES WITH: ANDREW HAYWARD Managing Director at Russell Roof Tiles


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


I am the managing director at Russell Roof Tiles. I have worked at Russell Roof Tiles for almost 30 years, 15.as managing director


What does your role entail? With three sites in Burton on Trent and Lochmaben, Scotland, I am responsible for the overall management in all areas of business. This can be anything from dealing with matters relating to the manufacture of our concrete pitched roof tiles and UPVC accessories to matters relating to finance, health & safety, sales, marketing or HR.


How did you get started in this industry? I first started working in the industry as a sales and technical manager for another roofing supplier before moving to Russell Roof Tiles. Before that, I had worked at Birmingham City Council for five years in the building and finance department.


• SIG UK has added to its UK Board of Directors. Andy Williamson has joined as commercial director, with over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry, including 11 with the IKO Group. There is a return to SIG for David Hope and Richard Burnley as divisional managing directors north and south, respectively, for the Distribution business. Hope has over 22 years in the industry including 10 at SIG where he was sales & marketing director for SIG Distribution. Burnley re-joins SIG from Kingspan Insulations where he was managing director. Additional appointments have been made to the UK leadership team of SIG Roofing: George King is divisional managing director south (exteriors) and John Magee is UK operations director.


What roles were you doing before and how did they prepare you for this one? Having worked at Russell Roof Tiles for 29 years, I had the privilege of being mentored for six years for a senior director position before being mentored for an additional six years before becoming managing director and overseeing general management of the business. This provided me with a unique insight of the market.


What has been the highlight of your career so far?


During the worst recession in history, many other long-standing blue chip and roofing companies, both small and large, had to close. However, through building an excellent internal team and extended relationships and hard work, we were able to keep Russell Roof Tiles in business and today, we are one of the largest independent roofing tile manufacturers in the UK.


What do you see as the main issues both for builders’ merchants and for


the wider construction industry at the moment?


Sustainability has also become a key consideration for a number of different areas of the construction industry. At Russell Roof Tiles, we have adopted a number of sustainable initiatives, including investing in a Combined Heat and Power unit. Generating electricity when needed, it uses excess heat for heating and hot water, unlike power stations which constantly burn fuel and waste excess heat. Over the next few years, initiatives like these will be vital and builder merchants will see a demand from customers to take the green approach.


The construction industry is also currently facing its largest skill shortage, with a lack of resource available to meet future demand. It is now more important than ever that businesses are providing career opportunities to younger people, whether that be through apprenticeships, progression or training to further help solve this growing skills crisis.


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


Take advantage of all career opportunities and be prepared to adapt quickly to surroundings, learning key skills and being flexible. This will guarantee a positive future within the industry.


Horse racing, football, rugby, cycling, golf or gardening – which one’s more likely to keep you busy at the weekends? Horse racing and football!


If you’re at the bar – what are you drinking? Cote du Rhone. I have it cold, a tip I learn from a sommelier in Spain.


What’s your favourite book? My favourite book is Bert Trautman autobiography - From Hitler Youth to FA Cup Legend.


Favourite film?


My favourite film is A Few Good Men but I also enjoy court dramas.


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net July 2020


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