PEOPLE 10 MINUTES WITH: RICH BUNN Area Manager, Stevenswood


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


Area Manager, Stevenswood, England Central. Since January 2022.


What does your role entail?


Establishing new branches in the region and recruiting new staff as well as overseeing two existing branches.


How did you get started in this industry?


YTS Scheme, straight from school (32 years ago!) as an apprentice window and door surveyor.


What roles were you doing before and how did they prepare you for this one? Ran my own business, fabricating windows, doors and conservatory roofs for 10 years. Then branch manager for Window Fitters Mate (SIG) before moving on to Regional Support Manager, then Regional Manager. SIG was then acquired by General All- purpose Plastics (GAP) where I became Regional Operations Manager.


Shaun Wells has been appointed as Retail Support Manager for Kudos Shower Products, to support their retail partners across the northeast of England. His area runs from the


Derbyshire border north to Durham.


Mark Vitow Ltd has appointed Matt Smith to regional sales manager for the South West and Adam Hewlett to regional sales manager for London and the Home Counties. Smith has significant experience within the Plumbing and Heating industry with strong credentials within the arena of merchants, key account management and demand creation.


Hewlett has worked in the


plumbing, heating and bathrooms sector for the past seven years, and brings experience building relationships with independent merchants, buying group members and suppliers alike.


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What would you like to achieve in your role?


To grow the Stevenswood England Central Area into a successful 10+ branch region. I aim to create a hardworking but fun environment for my staff in which everybody buys into the Stevenswood ethos of customer service second to none.


What has been the highlight of your career so far?


Every day is a highlight if I have happy customers and staff.


What do you see as the main issues for builders merchants and for the construction industry at the moment? Supply chain is currently a hot bone of contention. At Stevenswood, we have superb support from in-group fabrication businesses so have a hugely reliable offering for the demanding trade.


What advice would you give yourself at the start of your career?


I would say that it is important you try to enjoy


Brett Landscaping has appointed Robyn Robertson as specification sales manager. Robertson, who has a background in Geosynthetic materials – in particular tree root


protection subbases – has joined the company after nearly 15 years in various roles with businesses supplying civil engineering solutions.


Neoperl UK has appointed Chris Neath as sales manager for UK & Ireland. He brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked for the business for almost a decade. Neath


joined Neoperl UK as a sales administrator in 2013, progressing on to business development manager in 2017.


every success more, and never push back on what can be accomplished in a well organised day.


Football, rugby, cycling, golf or gardening – which one’s more likely to keep you busy at the weekends?


I am an enthusiastic marathon runner. Most weekends you will find me running a race in a random corner of the UK. My running has also seen me running in many European cities and even South Africa. I am also a big football fan and a lifelong Aston Villa supporter.


You’re at the bar – what are you drinking? I love a coffee.


What’s your favourite book? Favourite film?


Lord of the Rings book and films. I am also a huge Star Wars fan.


If you could be a superhero, what super- power would you choose?


It would have to be teleportation, so that I could spend time with all my staff every day.


ON THE MOVE


Matthew Bainbridge is the latest recruit to join Stelrad’s Brand Specialists team. Bainbridge’s sizeable territory covers from north of Manchester in the south to the Scottish


border in the north. He joins after completing his degree in Business Management at the University of Glasgow.


European bathroom manufacturer Coram Group has a new CEO, Peter Huizing, who has more than 20 years of leadership experience at international level with FMCG


companies, such as Heineken, Diageo, Coca- Cola, Sodiaal and Friesland/Campina. Huizing’s role with Coram will focus on innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction.


Toilet solutions and water management manufacturer, Fluidmaster has appointed Jean Paul Malum as marketing director EMEA. Malum will focus on the Group’s marketing strategies, and lead the transition of all EMEA marketing operations into the Fluidmaster family portfolio.


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2022


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