FOCUSON DISTRIBUTORS Mark Murphy
Blackheath
Matt Broughton spoke to Mark Murphy, Managing Director at Blackheath, about the company’s key points of focus for the new year.
2
023 was an exciting year for Blackheath. Although the increase in
interest rates and general uncertainty in the marketplace created difficult trading conditions, it continued to grow as a company and put in place several exciting projects ready for 2024. “The key moment for us as a company was definitely becoming an Employee-Owned Trust in March 2023,” explains Mark. “Employee ownership is one of the fastest growing business succession solutions in the UK, where there are now more than 1,000 employee-owned businesses, with the sector more than doubling in the past three years. We are excited for the future of the company moving forward and the new opportunities that will arise.” Blackheath’s first point of focus is to develop its
product offering, along with working with its customers to continue to provide the best possible service throughout 2024. “One of the most important considerations is listening to customers,” says Mark. “Our success relies on our
customers, so it is important for us to keep in touch with them and to understand how their market is changing and how the distributor market needs to support them.” Another important consideration for Blackheath is delivering value for money; with the current market, it’s more important than ever to offer quality products, at a sensible cost.
“
We are sure this year will be a memorable one for Blackheath!
Mark has seen a big move towards blues and
greens in kitchen door choice, as well as pastel colours being introduced into the kitchen and bathroom, which influences the chosen worktop décor: “We’ve also seen an increase in demand for ‘boot rooms’, also known as B-Utilities. These are now a regularly requested feature, particularly with seating. Our wall panel sales are also starting to rise, as they become an increasingly popular choice compared to traditional tiles. In terms of
worksurfaces, although our ‘Carrera Marble’ has been one of our most popular decors since it was launched, the last 12 months has seen our ‘Italian Marble’ décor quickly overtake this, as the demand for a more subtle marble effect becomes higher than the busier style of Carrera Marble.” Blackheath has some exciting projects and
developments planned for 2024, with a lot of work happening behind the scenes, including product updates, range makeovers and a brand- new product launch. Mark explains: “We’re just working on some of the finishing touches before we’re ready to share with the market, but we are sure this year will be a memorable one for Blackheath! What we can talk about though, is the imminent launch of the EGGER Decorative Collection 24+. Our stocks are starting to arrive this month and we are beginning to get plans in place for the EGGER Truck Tour arriving with us on 9th April. With the buzz the marketing campaigns have created over the last few months, this launch is going to be impressive, and we look forward to seeing the new decors being used in upcoming projects.”
22 BKU JANUARY 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 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
