UK General Manager, Interior Porcelain Product Manufacturer

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Commercial Director – JT Atkinson - Regional Independent Builders Merchant

• Based at the Middlesbrough Support Centre
• Salary & package to attract the best

This is an excellent opportunity to join the senior team of this market-leading business. Established over 160 years ago, today the business trades from 40 locations across Tyne and Wear, Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria, indeed the company is able to supply materials to customers across the North of England. They have a successful track record of growth combined with an exciting strategy for the future. 

This is a broad role with end-to-end scope from understanding what customers want to buy, sourcing those products at the best possible price in a creative manner and increasing profitability (whilst not affecting competitiveness in the market).  The Commercial Director will be accountable for the end-to-end commercial success of the business, from procurement to sell-out including working with category managers and branch managers to ensure they not only achieve stretching but realistic sales and margin budgets.
 

This is a key role and needless to say a very important piece of recruitment with a desire for a successful long-term appointment

Personality type and cultural fit are even more important than the companies potential candidates have worked for. Candidates need the ability to inspire colleagues to ensure the business achieves its desired results. Given the breadth and commercial complexities of the role we also require someone with excellent communication skills. 

Potential candidates should be/have:

• Extensive experience with a successful track record in a similar role 
• A broad commercial background encompassing procurement, pricing, category management and marketing
• Know how to maximise trading and margin opportunities: Delivering that strategy through diverse teams
• A good understanding of how such a business works. B2B multi-depot, multiple products.  Experience in the building materials distribution sector is of course highly desirable
• Experience with e-commerce as well as traditional branch-based trading is highly beneficial 
• An inspiring and engaging leadership style, creating confidence and demonstrating credibility
• An ability to work at pace and successfully develop and deliver the commercial strategy
• An appreciation of the nature of a privately owned business with a long history and long-serving employees
• Located within their trading region and easily commutable/relocatable to their Middlesbrough Support Centre. Naturally, there will also be travel within to visit suppliers and attend conferences and exhibitions. This is a visible leadership role; an ivory tower or fully remote approach will not work!  
   

The Bottom Line

This is not a turnaround situation, nor does it require a revolution. It’s about building on what you have, improving it and identifying further areas for growth. The business is well-placed with a capable senior team.
 

There is a competitive salary, bonus and benefits package. To apply please send your CV to neil@wilsonbrook.com 

For more information on JT Atkinson please visit: https://www.jtatkinson.co.uk/about-us 

Sales Director - leading manufacturer of civils and infrastructure products to Water and Gas Industries

• Ideally Midlands based, but flexible for the right individual
• Competitive salary + bonus + car + pension + healthcare

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established business and well-regarded brand within the civil and infrastructure products industry. They have a proud history and an impressive track record of success. They have a strong product range, UK manufacturing, are financially secure and well placed for further growth. The UK business is a subsidiary of a global group. 

Despite their success, they are not resting on their laurels. They see plenty of opportunity for growth and improvement, across their various product ranges. There are also industry and product changes which will present opportunities in the future.

Reporting to the UK MD, the main purpose of this role is to develop and deliver sales strategies to deliver profitable growth by increasing market share for both UK and export sales, leading the sales teams to secure more framework agreements and one-off opportunities supplying via distribution where necessary.

You should have exceptional knowledge of the UK civils and infrastructure market and understand the consultative technical specification sales approach and have experience in a similar sales leadership role with a manufacturer. Ideally, candidates would be based in the Midlands or within a reasonable commuting distance, but we’re flexible with this. 

To apply send your CV to ethan@wilsonbrook.com 

  Sales Director –building products manufacturer, part of a larger group

· Develop and deliver a growth strategy for UK, Ireland and further afield!

· Excellent salary + bonus + benefits

· Completely flexible with location

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established business and well-regarded brand within the building products industry. They have a proud history and an impressive track record of success. They have an excellent product range, are financially secure and well placed for further growth through innovation and NPD.  They have strong relationships with major merchants and housebuilders. 

Despite their success, they are not resting on their laurels. They see plenty of opportunities for growth and improvement, both at home and overseas.   

Hence, they are looking to recruit an experienced and successful Sales Director, reporting into the MD, to develop and deliver the sales and wider commercial strategy. With continued investment in people and products, they have the foundations in place, along with a supportive senior team and a positive family-feel culture.

Suitable candidates should have a successful history in a similar Sales Director/Sales & Marketing/Commercial Director type role across similar channels in a building products manufacturer. Specific product or category knowledge is not essential, although some degree of technical appreciation is useful. We’re looking for individuals with a good understanding of these routes to market across both the UK, Europe and further afield and the changes that are taking place within them. It almost goes without saying that you’ll also need excellent leadership skills with plenty of energy, drive and dynamism. Experience with a challenger brand would be particularly interesting.

We’re very flexible with location on this one – it’s a role that will involve both UK and international travel, along with the occasional visit to their Midlands HQ. So as long as you don’t live in the depths of Cornwall, West Wales or the Scottish Highlands we don’t really mind where you live.

To apply send your CV to  jonny@wilsonbrook.com  

Sales Director – Building Products

Salary & package to attract the best

National role, East Midlands Head Office

This is an excellent opportunity to join an established UK manufacturer and distributor of specialist building products.   They have grown significantly and continuously.

This growth has predominantly been achieved by selling via builders merchants and specialist retailers. They have also grown sales via DIY and Garden Centres, and the associated websites of such companies.

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 spacious head office.

They are now looking to recruit a Sales Director to lead and successfully develop their sales and marketing strategy and teams.

With continued investment in people and products, they have the foundations in place, along with a supportive senior team and a positive family-feel culture.

Suitable candidates should have a successful history in a similar Sales Director/Sales & Marketing Director/Commercial Director type role across similar channels in a building products manufacturer. Specific product or category knowledge is not essential. We’re looking for individuals with a good understanding of these routes to market but particularly within the builder’s merchants. It almost goes without saying that you’ll also need excellent leadership skills with plenty of energy, drive and dynamism. 

Whilst the role will naturally involve national travel there’s a preference for someone based within a commutable distance of the East Midlands, for ease of access to their head office where they will be regular meetings.

For a confidential discussion please contact Jonny Pegler via jonny@wilsonbrook.com 

General Manager – Exterior Products

Based either Midlands or South East. Home-based role with regular travel

Salary – Competitive Pay + excellent bonus opportunity + benefits (car or allowance, pension, healthcare, etc.)

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established specialist exterior products business. The business is part of a family-owned multi-sector multi $bn global independent group with a fantastic history of growth and acquisition. They are long-term investors who trust their business managers to run their businesses as if they were their own.

Trading from a modern site they have a great reputation for customer service, and exceptional relationships with their key customers.

They supply a range of specialist exterior products into the construction industry.

They have grown successfully over recent years with good potential for further growth. There will be freedom to trade in an autonomous environment with no bureaucracy and the support of experienced senior leadership from the parent company.

Potential candidates should have:

• A successful track record of profitably running and growing a building products business as Managing Director/Branch Director/Sales Director/General Manager. Specific product knowledge is highly desirable along with experience selling to their key customers
• 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.
• Willingness to roll sleeves up and always looking for opportunities to improve the business
• To be customer-facing and enjoy doing this
• Fit in with and positively develop the culture within the organisation, ensuring respect for all within the business
• A self-starter who 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, and engage with people throughout the business
• Commercially and financially aware
• You will own the P&L and be responsible for creating and delivering the strategy to achieve this.
• You should live within the Midlands or South East and be prepared to travel regularly.

Objectives:

• Increase turnover in a profitable manner
• Improve customer service. Give customers more reasons to use the business
• Improve engagement throughout the team and create a positive, winning culture
• Identify opportunities for investment
• Identify opportunities for growth in associated product/service areas – how can the business add value in a competitive sector
• Fully utilise the facilities/capabilities of the business
• Naturally ensure the business is always trading legally with health and safety paramount
• Identify opportunities for growth – both within existing customers and markets and new ones!

The future is very bright for this business. Come and be a part of it. Be your own boss and create a winning environment where you – and the team – will be rewarded handsomely for it!

To apply send your CV to matt@wilsonbrook.com

  Commercial Director – specialist distribution into the construction industry

• West Midlands head office, with some flexibility over candidate location
• Salary & package to attract the best

This is an excellent opportunity to join the senior team of this market-leading business. They have a successful track record of growth combined with an exciting strategy for the future. This new position of Commercial Director will work closely with the senior team and indeed all colleagues to maximise the profit the business makes through the products sold: both currently and expanding the offer.

This is a broad role with end-to-end scope from understanding what customers want to buy, sourcing those products at the best possible price in a creative manner and increasing profitability (whilst not affecting competitiveness in the market). Building upon their specialisms and how they add value above and beyond just the distribution of products – for example, they also fabricate and project procure on behalf of their customers.

 

This is a key role and needless to say a very important piece of recruitment with a desire for a successful long-term appointment.

Personality type and cultural fit are even more important than the company’s potential candidates have worked for. The senior team (and indeed the entire business) would benefit from someone with high levels of intellect and drive with an ability to challenge colleagues to ensure the business achieves its desired results. Given the breadth and commercial complexities of the role we also require someone with excellent communication skills: internally and externally – to develop better relationships with their suppliers. The role holder will own the margin for the business and will also have to process a huge amount of information. Strong commercial awareness combined with a high IQ is essential.

The business has already identified a number of areas this role could impact, however, there is no set agenda and the right candidate will need to advise what should be prioritised after an induction and assessment period, tailor the strategy accordingly and then deliver it!

Potential candidates should be/have:

• Extensive experience with a successful track record in a similar role (although we’re also open to someone with the right ability stepping up into this level for the first time)
• A broad commercial background encompassing procurement, pricing, category management and marketing
• Know how to maximise trading and margin opportunities: cross-selling, up-selling, bundling etc. Delivering that strategy through diverse teams
• A good understanding of how such a business works. B2B multi-depot, multi-products into a variety of project types across the construction industry.  Experience in the construction sector is of course highly desirable
• An appreciation of the balance between providing an excellent service whilst improving the margin
• A track record of improving sales into existing customers within such organisations. Although it should be noted that this is not the business’s sales leadership role. Ultimately the whole business needs to be more sales focused (in a profitable manner!)
• An inspiring and engaging leadership style, creating confidence and demonstrating credibility
• An ability to work at pace and successfully deliver the commercial strategy
• An appreciation of the nature of a privately owned business with a long history and long-serving employees
• Resilience and tenacity 
• Excited by the challenge
• Located within or be easily commutable to the West Midlands and be able to travel throughout the country and indeed into Europe to visit suppliers. This is a visible leadership role; an ivory tower or fully remote approach will not work! 
• Excellent communication skills
• High levels of emotional intelligence
• Able to cope with ambiguity, open-minded and flexible – helping to shape the full scope of the role and how it works alongside the rest of the senior team
• Able to balance risk and reward
• Know enough detail, but not be consumed by it
• Available to commence employment at the earliest opportunity – but the business will wait for the right person
  

The Bottom Line

This is not a turnaround situation, nor does it require a revolution. It’s about building on what you have, improving it and identifying further areas for growth. The business is well-placed with a capable senior team.
 

There is a competitive salary, bonus and benefits package. To apply please send your CV to imogen@wilsonbrook.com 

Country Manager – Nordics - Global plumbing products manufacturer

· Grow their business in Sweden, Norway, Denmark & Finland

· Candidates can be based in any of the above countries

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established business and well-regarded brand within the plumbing products industry. They have a proud history and an impressive track record of success. They have a strong product range, are financially secure and well placed for further growth through innovation and NPD.  They have established relationships with major distributors and buying groups, whilst they also supply direct to the major OEMs. They have manufacturing facilities across the world!

Despite their success, they are not resting on their laurels. They see plenty of opportunities for growth and improvement, especially within the Nordic markets.  They are already established here, with a key distribution partner but there are considerable opportunities, particularly where they can leverage relationships with existing customers to sell more of the full product range.

Hence, they are looking to recruit an experienced and successful Country Manager, reporting to the Sales Director for Western Europe, to develop and deliver the sales, marketing and commercial strategy. With continued investment in people and products, they have the foundations in place, along with a supportive senior team - of which this role will be a key part.

Suitable candidates should have a successful track record in a similar Country Manager/Head of Sales/Sales Director/Sales & Marketing/Commercial Director type role for a plumbing or building products manufacturer. Alternatively, you might be working for a distributor of such products? Specific product or category knowledge is not essential: it could be plumbing & bathroom products, heating & ventilation, electrical, building products or others. We’re looking for individuals with a good understanding of these routes to market across both the Nordics and the changes that are taking place. It almost goes without saying that you’ll also need excellent sales and account management skills.

You should live within one of the Nordic countries and be prepared for regular travel.

To apply send your CV to  nick@wilsonbrook.com   

Head of Marketing – asset rental group with several subsidiaries and more acquisitions in the pipeline!

Home-based, flexible as to where potential candidates are based, role will involve regular national travel 

Salary – c£70k with some flexibility for exceptional candidates + car allowance + bonus + benefits

This is an excellent opportunity to join a UK asset rental group and help develop their marketing strategy! There is huge growth potential across the multiple markets they serve via their existing group companies. The UK business is part of an international family-owned independent group with interests in related sectors. They are long-term owners who trust their business managers to run their businesses as if they were their own. 

They have built up a portfolio of companies via acquisition with more in the pipeline and investment to grow those already acquired.

A key part of their growth strategy is improving the marketing strategy for those companies. Hence this role!

They are also happy to invest in a number of other areas:

• New locations throughout the country within their existing businesses
• Significant capital investment in further assets
• Improved processes & systems
• Strengthening their teams 
• Developing their people

We’re looking for the following in potential candidates:

• Degree qualified (ideally Marketing related) with further marketing related qualifications such as CIM Level 6 qualification, with 3-10 years’ experience in Marketing, including a marketing leadership role
• Marketing & Digital Strategy, take both a traditional and digital strategic approach to marketing planning, integrating digital strategy, models, frameworks and techniques throughout to achieve competitive advantage.
• Integrate and optimise digital marketing as well as develop strategic responses to change.
• Take a strategic approach to branding at a product/service level so that it is consistent with the corporate brand and impacts reputation positively. Establish and position brand strategy, and also manage the brand so it continues to deliver the brand promise. 
• Adopt a strategic approach to the implementation of marketing plans to meet marketing and business objectives. Deploy a full range of resources to optimise marketing results in an efficient and effective manner.
• Understand the digital customer experience and fulfil the customers’ strategic needs. Ensure you provide the desired customer experience, by understanding the customer's journey while complying with relevant legislation and regulation.
• Relationship management, especially at managerial and stakeholder levels. Devise business strategies and Marketing plans that can underpin each business with senior management and key stakeholders.
• Logic, analytics and problem-solving for evaluating business metrics and determining ways to improve results.
• Some good change management experience would be beneficial – really good emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills – put an arm around people and bring them on the journey. 
• Experienced in driving cultural change to continue to create a more collaborative and empowered working environment.
• Deliver the right level of information up and down the structure, encourage people to use their initiative, make proactive decisions and contribute ideas.
• On the one hand experience of the hire industry could be beneficial but is by no means a prerequisite.
• A breadth of experience in different businesses would be beneficial – particularly where those businesses have been through a cultural transition; change management experience is important, aligning values etc.
• Experience of implementing a Marketing strategy in a growing organization where acquisitions have been integrated would be useful. 
• Likely to have done a role of similar size and scale, therefore unlikely to be stepping up into a role of this size for the first time.
• This is a national role. Some flexibility with working from home 1-2 days per week. Candidates would need to be prepared to undertake expensed travel throughout the existing network, and beyond as we increase the size of the business. This will likely mean an average of 1npw staying away. A central location would therefore be more beneficial, perhaps between the M4 and M62. 

This role could develop into a Marketing Director with a small central team, alongside people within the businesses. The function will need to be resourced correctly to meet the demands and growth aspirations of the business.

The future is bright for this business. Come and be a part of it. 

To apply send your CV to imogen@wilsonbrook.com