RISING STARS JAYSON RICHARDS


Job title: Branch Manager Company: PTS Plumbing Trade Supplies


What’s your role? Branch Manager at PTS Leeds Hunslet


How did you get into this industry? My Dad is a heating and ventilation engineer, and when I was young I used to help (or hinder) him some Saturdays to earn a little pocket money. I was always interested in what he did and felt I could do a good job myself, even while at college and university, I worked for him part time installing PV panels alone and helping install other renewable solutions. My first baby step into the merchant world was working on a market stall, when I was 14, my Dad set up to get rid of the materials he had built up over the years. However, I first joined the merchant world professionally when I was 20, at PTS Barrow in Furness, now CPS. I left university early and was working in a hotel in the Lake District when I saw the role for ABM and applied, the manager Dave Jessamine took me on despite not having any real experience and started my off on my journey.


What might a typical day for you at work be? The main focus of our day to day is the operational side of the business, collecting orders from customers, getting them orders picked, and loaded for the next day deliveries. Aswell as stock coming in. My typical day would be over seeing this, along with the operation manager who has a more active role. I would also meet with senior account managers to discuss new business opportunities and how to better service our existing customers.


What were you doing at work last week? Last week I was conducting a stock take at my branch, we do this process typically twice a year to ensure our stock holdings are correct and to maximise service levels for customers. The goal is ‘on time, in full’ an accurate stock profile is essential for this.


What are your big challenges in this role? The biggest challenges, but at the same time the most satisfaction comes from leading a team. With 20 people in branch, the issues that get raised can vary massively, and the biggest challenge is to get everyone pulling in the same direction, to motivate each individual and instil a philosophy in the branch we can all get on board with. This is side of management is where I want to progress into, running an operation with a large team has very high highs and very low lows, but that is what I love.


What do you think has been your biggest achievement so far in your role?


The biggest achievement in my role is still ongoing, PTS Leeds had lost its way and now we seem to be on the right track again and moving forward. It was a similar story in my previous branch but in the last full year I was there we won branch of the year. That is my aim for Leeds.


What advice would you give someone new to this industry?


At grass roots its a tough job, lots of hard work with little reward but I would say you get out what you put in. Develop yourself, and look for opportunities to to tick each skill set, this will better prepare yourself for future roles, and at the same time, put you in the shop window.


My brother plays professional rugby league and spent most of his career so far at St Helens, and he told me, the letters L and A where on the home changing room door, meaning you won’t get through this door with “Luck and ‘ard work”. This has stayed with me and I think it translates into any successful career, you have to really work but a little bit of luck goes along with, and by putting yourself out there, you’ll get lucky.


What would you say to someone who might be thinking about a career/getting a job on the merchant industry?


I am a big believer that in our industry there is a place for everyone, I fell into the industry but I have found the diversity of people and skills you need are massive. I wanted to be a publisher, now I am branch manager for the biggest P&H merchant in the UK. The industry will become a greater success if it recruits a diverse range of successful people.


What are the changes you foresee the industry making in order to survive the future? As I have touched above, the industry from the outside can look unattractive, this is what needs to change to future proof the business. The leaders of the industry must come from within, but this is not possible if we fail to attract young, driven, and enthusiastic people to join. We must take a leaf out of some of the most desirable companies to work for, Apple, Google, Amazon, to attract the best. The industry is changing, the customers are changing but the merchant industries work force is not, this can only last so long.


MANAGER’S VIEW


Jayson started in the business at the age of 20 as a supervisor. His potential was quickly recognised and he was promoted to assistant branch manager a year later when our Barrow branch converted from a PTS branch to a bigger City Plumbing branch. After three years successfully driving the results at Barrow, he was offered branch manager at Morecambe. Now he is managing two branches and he has done all of this while undertaking a business supported chartered management degree in business. In the last year, Jayson has also actively volunteered his time to support other locations in the region. This included supporting a branch that was struggling due to having no permanent branch manager in place. He drove hundreds of miles every day to support the team there, while knowing he was able to leave his own branch to run on its own thanks to the way he set it up, successfully delegating responsibilities and trusting his team to do the right thing.


Our vision is to be recognised as a market leader and our customers’ preferred ‘Partner in Wall Building’, supplying innovative, sustainable and cost-effective


aircrete building solutions.


Our mission to supply value added aircrete solutions for any wall.


November 2019 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 17


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