November 2025 ertonline.co.uk


pricing, logistics. Not glamorous work, but essential work. When you do that consistently, things start to shift.” Mr Ward believes the key was focusing on what CDA could control. There had been years of pointing to external challenges, but he encouraged a shift in mindset. “We cannot control the market, or tariffs, or competitors,” he says. “But we can control our behaviours and our decisions. That is where the real change happened.”


Over the years the business developed a


strong reputation for reliability and personal service, particularly among retailers who valued a brand that felt accessible and human. Mr Ward is keen to highlight that much of CDA’s early identity still lives in the company today. “It always felt like a family business,” he


recalls. “A lot of people came from the local area, and many stayed for years and years. It had warmth and loyalty at its core. Even today, that is still in the DNA.” When Mr Ward joined CDA just over a year


before this interview, he stepped into a business that had reached a pivotal moment. The affection was still there, both internally and externally, but the company needed clarity, discipline, and a fresh sense of direction. He speaks with genuine appreciation for what he found. “There was real affection for CDA,” he says. “Customers wanted us to succeed. People inside the business wanted us to succeed. That gave us something meaningful to build on.”


Acquisition and financial challenges After decades of steady growth, CDA faced a major turning point in 2015 when it was acquired by Polish conglomerate Amica. The acquisition opened new opportunities, but the integration proved more challenging than expected. “Amica had expectations for growth that did not come through,” he explains. “And CDA hoped to tap into more of the group’s capabilities than ultimately materialised. Neither side really got what they wanted from the relationship in those early years.” The consequences were substantial. CDA


entered a period of declining profitability and eventually posted losses for seven consecutive years. It was a difficult stretch that tested both internal resilience and external confidence.


Mr Ward does not gloss over the seriousness of the situation. “The business owed more than it generated,” he says. “You cannot sugar-coat that. The question when I arrived was simple. Did we have the right people, the right products, and the right opportunity to turn it around?” After a pause, he adds, “The answer was yes. But it required fundamental change.”


Resetting the business Just twelve months later, the tone is very different. Through a combination of discipline, cultural reset, and operational refinement, CDA has found stability and is now recovering strongly. “We are in a far healthier position now,” he


shares. “We are solvent, we have cash in the bank, and this year we will be profitable at PBT level for the first time in seven years. It is a big step.”


The recovery did not come from dramatic


gestures but from persistent, sometimes unglamorous work. “We looked at everything,” he says. “Buying habits, stock levels, product architecture,


He also notes that the UK appliance market itself is not as bleak as some commentary suggests. “Refrigeration is growing. Cooking is growing. Companion products are growing,” he says. “There are plenty of opportunities if you approach the market properly and execute with focus.”


Staying small on purpose One of the more surprising strengths Mr Ward identifies is CDA’s modest scale. Rather than aspiring to operate like the giants of the industry, he embraces the freedoms that come with being small and agile. “We are only 2 per cent of the market, and I love being 2 per cent,” he says with a grin. “It means we can move fast. If something is not perfect, we do not spend six months debating it. We fix it. We get on with it.” CDA’s focus is clear. Its range covers four core categories: cooking, refrigeration, washing, and companion appliances. And its strategy is firmly B2B, supporting independent showrooms, national retailers, housebuilders, and online specialists including AO.com and Marks Electrical.


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