Sales Director - Scotland
An excellent opportunity with a major distributor into the construction sector
This is an excellent opportunity with a well-established specialist distributor into various parts of the construction, infrastructure and RMI sectors. They have well respected brands and a very positive reputation with their customers.
They also have some added-value manufacturing capabilities allowing them to differentiate and even better service their customers needs.
They trade from a comprehensive network and have a turnover approaching £100m in Scotland, with the wider group nearing £300m. They are not only growing organically, but have been opening new locations and making acquisitions.
They are well placed – now it’s all about further growth: increasing market share, new channels and product categories.
As Sales Director you’ll be responsible for leading a sales team, managing key accounts and working closely with operational colleagues to develop and deliver their growth strategy.This is a key commercial & leadership role within the business encompassing:
Strategy: Working with the MD and senior team to develop & implement the commercial strategy for the Scottish business. Responsible for advising on new markets to explore, based on trends and expectations for the future.
Commercial: Responsible for leading the national and external sales team to exceed their sales and margin targets, while ensuring they are focused on delivering the highest quality customer service levels. Strengthen and develop trading relationships with key accounts, with personal attention on developing the top 20 accounts.
Working with the Regional Directors to implement pricing and margin development programmes for all management and sales staff.
Potential candidates should have:
Experience of working with and developing B2B customer base in construction/industrial businesses essential in a similar role.
A strong knowledge of the construction and infrastructure customer base in Scotland and ideally some related product knowledge, although this is not essential.
Analytical capabilities, able to identify and respond swiftly to key trends and opportunities.
Commercial acumen. Develop detailed knowledge of market and pricing levels.
Team leadership skills, with experience of managing internal and external sales teams across a broad territory.
A demonstrable track record of delivering results through high performing sales teams.
Confident communicator, able to demonstrate effective negotiation skills with external & internal customers and suppliers
To apply send your CV to matt@wilsonbrook.com or call 07517 470025 for a confidential discussion
Branch Manager - Builders Merchant
Come and double the size of this business!
This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established builders merchant branch and help propel them through the next stage of their growth.
Trading from a large site in an affluent area they have a great reputation for customer service, a modern fleet of vehicles and a committed and experienced team.
With the right leader this branch could double in size, adding new product categories and services. There will be freedom to trade in an autonomous environment with no bureaucracy and the support of an experienced senior leadership (if required!).
Potential candidates should have:
- A successful track record of profitably running and growing an B2B trade distribution business as Branch/General Manager. Potentially a strong assistant Branch Manager looking for that next step. This could be from within the builders merchant industry or something comparable with transferable skills
- Can successfully operate in such an environment without the support structures of a larger corporate and can cope with the pressure of needing to achieve results
- A proactive, inquisitive, common sense approach
- Strong, positive communication skills. Able to have difficult conversations when required
- Willingness to roll sleeves up and always looking for opportunities to improve the business
- To be customer facing and enjoy doing this. Knowledge of the local customer base is an advantage, but not a prerequisite
- Based within a commutable distance of Hemel Hempstead
- Fit in with and positively develop the culture within the organisation, ensuring respect for all within the business
- A self-starter and can operate at pace, making decisions in a confident manner – no procrastination here please!
- Energetic and creative, resilient and tenacious. Willing to embrace the challenge
- Can deliver the right level of information up and down the structure as required
- Leadership of the highest calibre: inspire, lead, motivate, engage with people throughout the business
- Commercially and financially aware
Objectives:
- Increase turnover in a profitable manner
- Improve customer service, especially with delivered business. Give customers a reason to use the business
- Improve engagement throughout the team and create a positive, winning culture
- Develop potential successors, with a view to future career progression
- Identify opportunities for investment
- Identify opportunities for growth in associated product/service areas: more timber, lightside and plumbing & heating
- Fully utilise the facilities/capabilities of the branch: buildings, vehicles and small service mill
- Naturally ensure the branch is trading legally with health and safety paramount at all times
The future is bright for this business. Come and be a part of it.
To apply send your CV to matt@wilsonbrook.com or call 07517 470025 for a confidential discussion
Head of Procurement
Develop and deliver a new procurement strategy for a market leader
This is an excellent opportunity with a market leading £500m business who supply specialist equipment and associated services to a number of industries including construction and infrastructure. They have grown successfully over recent years, both organically and via acquisitions. In 2011 they delivered just £3m of profit - last year over it was over £60m!
They operate from over 180 locations UK wide with over 3500 employees. They were the first company in their sector to voluntarily pay the real living wage. They have a powerful vision - to own the future of their sector, setting the standards, having the best safety, innovation and solutions in the industry. Their values actually mean something to the business, with employees living and breathing them on a daily basis - they're not just a set of words on a website or a wall.
They have identified an opportunity to improve their approach to procurement by introducing category management and conducting a full end to end review of their procurement strategy: how they buy, who they buy from, the size and variety of their product and service portfolio, developing stronger relationships with their suppliers: all the while keeping in mind what their customers, across various different sectors, really want.
Hence they are creating a new procurement team to develop and deliver this strategy and need a Head of Procurement to lead and implement this.
Potential candidates should have:
- At least 10 years in category management in an industrial products or services business, with some understanding of the construction and infrastructure sectors
- A successful track record in implementing/improving a modern progressive procurement/category management strategy in a business of a comparable size and complexity
- Experience of purchasing machinery/equipment/plant where long term asset value along with efficiency, reliability and serviceability are important: this is quite different to purchasing goods for resale where it’s simply based on price, quality and volume and more of a short-term decision-making process
- Some experience of leading and development procurement team members
- Based within reasonable commuting distance of Greater Manchester where their head office is based, although this role is not necessarily based 5 days per week in the office – some of the time will be spent visiting suppliers (if they’re not visiting you) and also travelling around the country building relationships with people in the business and various subsidiaries
- Degree & CIPS qualified
This is a great opportunity with a well-established, successful company, with the chance to significantly improve how they go about procurement. Good career development opportunities are also available.
There are competitive salaries, pension and other benefits.
To apply send your CV to neil@wilsonbrook.com or call 07796 542641 for a confidential discussion
National Account Manager - Garden Centres
A rare opportunity to create a new division for a successful UK manufacturer
The company
This is an excellent opportunity to join an established UK manufacturer and distributor of specialist landscaping products. They have grown significantly and continuously since being founded in 2009. Off the back of a halo product they have developed and introduced a comprehensive and unique range of associated landscaping products with a reputation for quality and unbeatable customer support.
This growth has predominantly been achieved by selling via builders merchants and specialist landscaping retailers. They have also seen success with export sales, particularly in the USA. However, there are significant other opportunities and channels for growth closer to home – hence where this role comes in!
The business did close for a brief period when lockdown was first announced. Once appropriate safety measures were implemented they reopened and have seen a surge in demand ever since – with people restricted to their homes and gardens and combined with some having more disposable income as a result of cancelled holidays, there has been a significant increase on DIY spending which they have benefited from. Whilst some employees were furloughed they were brought back as soon as possible. Anyone furloughed was paid 100% of their salary plus any bonus due. No redundancies have been made as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The last 2 months have been extremely strong for the company.
They are even more positive about the future. Investments are being made in increased production capacity, NPD and marketing. They have a low staff turnover and a modern and spacious head office.
The opportunity
They have adapted a small range of their products for sale via garden centres, with specific packaging, POS and marketing material. Whilst they have made some tentative steps into that market they don't have anyone with the specific contacts and time to make the approaches and develop the relationships.
The individual
- Successful track record in a similar sales, business development or account management role working for a companies that have sold products via garden centres: hence will have knowledge of the appropriate buyers and category managers and be able to get in front of them easily and quickly
- Need to understand how these target business make their buying decisions and onboard new suppliers
- Commercially aware – able to successfully negotiate trading agreements
- Presentable with strong communication skills
- Ideally based within the Midlands or South East, but this role will involve national travel so not necessarily a prerequisite. Likely to require one day a week in the head office, the rest of the time will be spent working from home/travelling to visit prospective customers
- Must fit in with values and culture: focused on providing quality products (not price driven) with excellent customer service, a family feel with a small committed team
- Potential/ability to grow this channel and as such create a new division for the business which require the recruitment and leadership of a team of people: therefore aspirations and ability to grow the role and recruit/lead a team is important
Reasons to join
- They are a well-established, growing, profitable business with unique, UK manufactured, quality products and an excellent reputation
- Low staff turnover, positive company culture, and have recently been recruiting into other areas
- There is a good opportunity here to significantly develop a new route to market for the business – starting with garden centres and then moving into other related retail such as mainstream DIY (B&Q, Homebase, Wickes), The Range, Wilko etc.
- Success in this role will enable the growth of a new division and the development of a new team – given the size of the market this could eclipse the turnover of the existing business!
- A down-to-earth common-sense business culture, with a flexible working environment
- Modern, professional and comfortable head office with free parking (though of course you won't often be there!)
To apply send your CV to matt@wilsonbrook.com or call 07517 470025 for a confidential discussion
Engineering Opportunities - Consumer Products
Exciting engineering opportunities with a fast growing, innovative business
This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established and category leading manufacturer of specialist small domestic electro-mechanical and electronic devices. This category is growing at over 25% per annum! They have a great reputation and global distribution channels via Amazon and other specialist retailers.
They are now embarking on a period of exciting growth under a new MD and ownership with investments being made into the business to facilitate such growth. The business has a successful history with a good track record of profitability, is highly cash generative and has a long serving employee base.
There are several key strategies which will enable them to grow:
1.Enhance existing products – via incremental value-added enhancements requiring engineering changes and changes in the bill of materials – quite simple but can add a lot of value.
2.New Product Introduction: 1. New mechanical products & 2. IoT/app controlled/web enabled products – so instead of having a product mounted electronic control and display the products will link via wifi to an app on the users smartphone – allowing remote control wherever the user may be
3.Raise the bar in terms of how the business operates – historically it’s been quite centralised around the previous MD and paper based. The new MD wants to engage with and empower the workforce, getting them to think for themselves, coming forward with new ideas and at the same working smarter via better utilisation of technology and world class manufacturing and engineering systems and standards
There are 3 new key roles the business is looking to recruit to help deliver this strategy:
- Senior Design/NPI Engineer or Design & Development Leader (depending on experience)
- Continuous Improvement Engineer
- Quality Assurance Manager
Naturally we're looking for people with experience in similar roles in a similar environment. Ideally degree qualified, experienced with mechanical and electrical/electronic consumer products. Any experience with web-enabled/smart/app controlled products would be a distinct advantage.
Reasons to join:
- The business has a successful history with exciting plans for further growth combined with significant investment being applied across the business: facilities, people, products and brand!
- Operating in high growth product categories with the introduction of new technologies
- Potential career development opportunities in the medium term with a several management team members nearing retirement age combined with the growth aspirations of the company
- A new culture of being innovative and proactive – with people empowered and encouraged to contribute and challenge
- Freedom and autonomy, no micro-management here
- Security of a successful, profitable, cash-rich business
- Highly successful new MD who’s worked in world class, industry leading engineering and manufacturing businesses
The business has a strong position in a sustainable market operating in high growth product categories. The business plan represents a continuation of its successful strategy, enhanced by investment, new product development and a step-change in how the business operates, supported by better management. It’s a fantastically exciting time to join the company!
The company are based in the South East, on the South West outskirts of London, so naturally prospective candidates should live within a commutable distance. There is flexibility over start & finish times. There may be some limited oversees travel to China to liaise with their manufacturing partners.
There are competitive salaries, pension and other benefits.
To apply send your CV to matt@wilsonbrook.com or call 07517 470025 for a confidential discussion