Marketing Job in Focus: Marketing Director of KBB Manufacturer - £90k

Our new Marketing Job in Focus is a fantastic position as a Marketing Director a manufacturer of KBB products. You would be responsible for leading the marketing direction and sales growth for EMEA countries, You would have four direct reports.

Our Construction & Building Industry Job in Focus feature takes a detailed look at some of the fantastic sales & marketing construction and building materials job vacancies currently on our books. 

Job in Focus is also promoted on our website. www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk


Job Title: Marketing Director
Job Ref: J7926
Product: KBB
Location: National
Salary: £90k
Sector: Marketing

GLOBAL MARKET LEADING KBB MANUFACTURER SEEKING MARKETING DIRECTOR 

PACKAGE: On offer is a basic salary of up to £90,000 plus bonus, car, mobile phone and laptop. 

EMPLOYER: A true market leader in the KBB sector offering a superb portfolio of mid to premium level products on a global basis. 

JOB DESCRIPTION: Marketing Director: This is a senior level role with the successful candidate acting as a strategic leader to the company's marketing team. This person will contribute to the net sales and market share growth of the brand by helping to create and execute highly focused marketing plans across a number of important market channels including high end retail showrooms, consumers as well as ensuring they are the brand of choice for architects and designers for the kitchen and bathroom products market. The growth plan is fundamental across Europe, Middle East and Africa but most notably so in London and Duabi.

This person will have 4 direct reports from the marketing functions in the UK, Germany, Middle East and France with other key tasks including serving as advisor to the MD and being the recognised authority on the company's brand product selection and brand strategies. This person will be expected to create clear short, medium and long term brand strategies, plans and goals and have the confidence and gravitas to present their vision and take responsibility for delivery.

There will also be a need to proactively manage all marketing activities to strengthen the brand and ensure consistency across multiple offices and countries, lead and develop a first class marketing team across geographical borders and take leadership in the creation, approval and execution of the strategic planning and financial planning process and forecasting and budgeting and liaise with external agencies and analysis and interpret market trends and data. This person will need to demonstrate not only expertise in both product marketing through multi channels but also assume leadership for all aspects of the brand communications strategy across a variety of channels and media, both in the UK and across the EMEA wider region. 

LOCATION: Office based in the South West with frequent UK and international travel - candidates could live in North Somerset, Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, South Wales, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 

CANDIDATE: The successful applicant will have a proven track record working as a Marketing Manager or Marketing Director. They need to have had meaningful experience in developing, launching and executing new products and new categories whilst being able to demonstrate experience of having developed and delivered successful brand strategies. Ideally come from the consumer durables market and with products that span mid to high end markets. Experience of managing P&L and budgets is essential. KBB experience would be an advantage but is not essential as it is more important that they have worked with premium products. Previous international marketing and people management would be desirable. Must have strong leadership skills, analytical and commercial focus. Essential, is the ability to quickly build rapport and respect across a team and have credibility for their actions. This post could prove to be a stepping stone to a general management role for the right person. 

For further information or to discuss your career options contact Natalie Matthews on 01480 405225 or apply online.

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The UK Shower market brings refreshing news!

Following on in a similar vein to all the positive news we reported last week post Brexit, more refreshing news can be found in a new report on the UK shower market from MTW Research.

The report indicates an above inflation growth in 2016, with new technology paving the way for a £50 million sales 'bounce' by 2020, they say the market is still healthy despite Brexit and that many fresh opportunities have presented themselves as a result.

Based on industry sales data, the report forecasts volume and values and suggests that sales of shower products are set for 10% growth by 2020, highlighting healthy fundamentals as consumer spending remains strong in 2016.

MTW say that growth in digital shower sales of 26% and a steady shift to higher specification preferences are boosting value performance, whilst volume growth is underpinned by rising domestic refurbishment activity for shower controls, screens, trays and enclosures.

Discussing current trends, MTW executive James Taylor commented: "The showers market in 2016 is being driven by demand for not just high quality, design led enclosures and trays but also the latest technologies in smart showering which offer an inclusive product that the whole family can use for great levels of control and ease of use."

Latest KBB jobs >>

The 280-page report reviews the impact of Brexit, forecasting that whilst demand from housebuilding may dip in the near term, value growth is set to remain healthy as consumers demand higher value products with enhanced features. MTW also identifies a number of opportunities presented by Brexit, highlighting a likely growth in UK manufacturing as investment in production facilities increases in the longer term, underpinned by low corporate taxes, a lower cost of Sterling and flexible labour force.

MTW also identifies a number of key threats to the shower products market, with pricing pressure a key characteristic of the sector in 2016. The showers market continues to polarise into the higher value, brand-led sector underpinning value growth whilst lower value imports are rising in volume terms.

The report provides channel shares since 2010 with Internet distribution gaining share in 2016, though online retailers are growing share primarily in the low-mid value end of the market, with less success at the higher value end of the market. According to MTW, this represents a key opportunity for specialist bathroom retailers who are able to occupy a differentiated market position by offering higher value products and services.

MTW also reviews the commercial showers market, suggesting that whilst there may be some 'Brexit bumps' in the road over the next 2 - 3 years, the overall trading environment is reasonably positive with above inflation growth forecast to 2020. The report suggests that should Brexit result in a slowing of consumer confidence, growth in 'Staycations' may prompt the domestic tourism and leisure markets, as was the case during the last recession, underpinning some additional stimulus for the commercial showers sector.

The tone of MTW's report is generally optimistic, with growth led by smart technological advances offering greater levels of control in the bathroom.

By 2020, MTW forecasts growth of £50 million for the UK shower products market, underlining healthy longer term conditions though somewhat erratic sales in the near term.

The report identifies opportunities for sectors such as concealed mixing valves, low profile shower trays and semi-frameless enclosures.

MTW asserts that the 'inclusive' showers market also offers growth potential with around 14 million consumers aged 60 representing around 30% of all shower purchases in 2016.

Buy the report here...

Latest Construction Output Figures show fall

Construction output in July fell at its fastest rate since June 2009, according to the seasonally adjusted Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index® (PMI®).

The July data was 45.9 in July, down fractionally from 46.0 in June and below the 50.0 no-change threshold for the second month running. 

Anecdotal evidence suggested that economic uncertainty following the EU referendum was the main factor weighing on business activity in July, especially in the commercial building sector.

The latest reading reflected the steepest fall in commercial building for over six-and-a-half years, alongside a drop in civil engineering activity for the first time in 2016. Residential construction also declined at a solid pace in July, but the rate of contraction eased from June's three-and-a-half year low. 

Some overall demand had been relatively resilient in July, especially for house building and infrastructure projects and there were also reports suggesting that demand patterns had been more resilient than expected, with some firms linking new enquiries from international clients to exchange rate depreciation. 

Tim Moore, Senior Economist at Markit and author of the Markit/CIPS Construction PMI® , said: "July's survey is the first construction PMI compiled entirely after the EU referendum result and the figures confirm a clear loss of momentum since the second quarter of 2016, led by a steep and accelerated decline in commercial building. Reduced volumes of new work to replace completed projects contributed to a fall in employment for the first time in just over three years. 

"Latest data showed that confidence regarding the year-ahead outlook eased further following the EU referendum, but only to a level last seen in April 2013 and one that is still well above the record lows experienced in 2008/09." 

David Noble, Group Chief Executive Officer at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: "Though a marginal drop in the index compared to last month, the sector's downhill course is a seriously disappointing development, with purchasing activity falling for the second consecutive month, and following another drop in new orders. 

"The index also recorded the lowest business confidence since April 2013, and the fastest overall fall in output since June 2009. Commercial building bore the main brunt of this downturn with the largest decrease in activity for six-and-a-half years. "Material costs were driven upwards at the fastest pace since March 2015, with the weaker pound largely to blame, and some firms reported lower stock levels to maintain cash flow. Job falls were in evidence, but more as a result of a close watch on margins and natural shedding than a shrinking of operations. 

"With a reduction in new work for the third month in succession and one of the fastest falls since early 2013, this hesitancy to commit was largely attributed to the continued hazy gloom of uncertainty as clients became more cautious, and deferred orders. The picture is still unclear around whether this direction is fixed for the coming months or is a short-term reaction and the aftershock of the UK's referendum decision." 

NHBC reveal that new home quarterly registrations are strongest since 2007

Some very encouraging news from the house building sector was published by the NHBC last week as they revealed that new home registrations in Q2 2016 totalled 41,222, marking the strongest quarter since 2007.

The figures were a 1% lift on Q2 2015. Private sector registrations across the UK climbed 6% to 31,753 new homes, whilst the public and affordable housing sector saw a 13% drop to 9,469. The pre-EU referendum uncertainty had not impacted Q2 statistics, commented NHBC’s ceo Mike Quinton.

At the same time, the Q2 figures conveyed a “mixed picture” across the country, NHBC said. Half of the 12 UK regions showed increases in registrations, including the South East with a rise of 37% and the North East at 34% growth against the same period last year. The other half experienced falls in numbers, for example Wales at -30% and London -29%.

But new home completions for the rolling 12 months of July 2015 to June 2016 showed growth in almost all regions, at a 6% overall increase compared to the previous 12 months. This reflected the robust registration growth seen in recent years, NHBC said.

Mike Quinton commented: “Our latest statistics show that the industry continues to consolidate on the strong growth in registrations seen over recent years. 

“These registrations reflect continued industry confidence in the run-up to the EU referendum at the end of June. Indeed, this period was the strongest quarter since Q4 2007, albeit still some way off levels seen over a decade ago.”

Commenting on housing activity since the referendum result, HBF’s director of economic affairs John Stewart said that in the past three weeks, there had been a “bounceback”, with reservations “level pegging with a year ago”.

“The evidence on the ground is that housebuilders are carrying on in market terms. They’ll be looking at what happens next month and in September.”

Job in Focus: National Sales Manager for Luxury Bathroom Products - £85k

Our latest Job in Focus for August is a great opportunity for a manufacturer of luxury bathroom products. You would be the National Sales Manager, managing and leading a team of Area Managers, covering the retail, specification and contract sectors. 

Our Construction & Building Industry Job in Focus feature takes a detailed look at some of the fantastic sales & marketing construction and building materials job vacancies currently on our books. Job in Focus is also promoted on our website. www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Job Title: National Sales Manager
Job Ref: J7636
Product: Bathroom Products
Location: National
Salary: £85k

National Sales Manager opportunity, working for a market leading manufacturer of luxury bathroom products. 

PACKAGE: Basic salary £65k to £85k plus Bonus Scheme, Car, Healthcare, Pension & other company benefits plus the opportunity to join a fantastic brand. 

EMPLOYER: Our client are a market leading manufacturer of luxury bathroom products boasting an excellent reputation. They are now looking to grow significantly and offer a superb opportunity for someone to develop their career in a true market leader. 

JOB DESCRIPTION: Superb opportunity to prove your management skills managing a team of Area Sales Managers covering all channel sectors including Retail, Specification & Contract. This person will inherit a strong team who are very experienced in their own dedicated channel - this person will need to be capable of understanding the differences between selling via Retail, Specification & Developer sectors and be comfortable being the visible face and voice to key customers in all of these sectors. They will be expected to set & monitor targets providing strong growth and motivate the team to achieve and surpass these targets. 

LOCATION: National role so someone living centrally would be advantageous including, West Midlands, Birmingham, Manchester, Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire etc 

CANDIDATE: We are looking for a high calibre manager with a clear background in the Bathroom industry - preferably with strong experience in the Retail channel 

For further information or to discuss your career options contact Colin Hoy on 01480 405225 or apply online


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FREE Construction Sales Career Development Clinics for August 2016

Before you know it, the summer will be over, so if you have some spare time over the holidays, why not think about looking for a new job?

If you want to progress your career in construction sales or marketing, perhaps you should take advantage of a FREE evaluation of your career, gain expert guidance on your next move and a look at suitable current vacancies. 

Interested...? Arrange to attend our PinBuild Career Development Clinics this August. 

This could be the most important appointment of your career so far...

PinBuild Clinics are for sales and marketing professionals in the construction and building products sector, providing specialist career advice and a match to the latest construction sales vacancies.

Call us and arrange to meet one of our expert construction industry consultants on 01480 405225 or contact us via to secure your booking e-mail recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

August clinic dates

• Thursday 11th August - Birmingham
• Wednesday 17th August - Dartford
• Thursday 18th August - Leeds            
• Tuesday 23rd August - Reading
• Wednesday 24th August - Manchester
• Wednesday 31st August - Oxfordshire

Our current jobs: You might find one you'd like to discuss: Search for building and construction products sales jobs

PinBuild Clinics will evaluate the job seeker’s career to date and identify the best opportunities available. The clinics provide professionals with expert advice on how to progress their career by discussing the industry sectors that have potential for growth, the skills and focus needed to ensure that they develop with the changing nature of the market and how to ensure that their career continues to progress rather than stagnating.

The clinics will also assist those that attend to map out a realistic and achievable career path, including any potential training requirements. Assistance will also be given to evaluate their CV and also their interview technique and where they should focus to ensure they realise their true potential in the building and construction industry.

We specialise in external and internal sales positions, marketing and management roles and director and board appointments with manufacturers, merchants or distributors across the whole building, construction and interiors product spectrum.

Take some time out to read about CRASH the construction industry's charity for homeless people and one of our industry partners for our charity initiative 'Helping others as you recruit.' Our other partner is the wonderful Lighthouse Club, who look after people and families from the industry who have suffered from illness, injury or death. 

Spread a little happiness in the industry

Brexit is being blamed for anything and everything at the moment, and whilst there is no doubt that the decision made in the recent referendum will change things, if you listened to, and believed all the talk of doom and gloom, you’d think the world was about to end.

It is important to remember that Britain is still building, we still have a strong economy, and the world is still spinning. When it stops, that’ll be the time to worry, not now.

In fact, some of the major institutions are already changing their tune with regards to the economic outlook, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), who is now predicting that the British economy will grow at a faster rate than both Germany and France in the next two years - 1.7 % this year and 1.3 % next year. This is a little different than their predictions of just a few weeks ago that a recession would be the cause of Brexit.

This means that far from being a declining country, struggling to keep up with some of the major worldwide economies, the UK is still set to be the second-fastest growing economy in the G7 group of industrialised nations during 2016 (behind the USA) and third-fastest next year, behind the USA and Canada.

The message from the Treasury is also clear, as shown in their recent statement: “Our country remains open for business. We are the same outward-looking, globally-minded,   big-thinking country we have always been.”

At Pinnacle Consulting, when we look at the number of new positions on our books and compare them with the same period during the last couple of years, it is just as strong and confirms that the confidence of many of the companies in the industry is still positive and looking towards growth.

As an overall industry, construction has always been forward thinking, adopting new technologies, manufacturing methods and materials, and leading the way with implementing legislation for both safety and sustainability with the product solutions to meet them.

The demand for our countries’ products and people will remain high and there is a real possibility of the potential opportunities available being even greater, as although some doors will close, more will open. However, our industry has always thrived on the skills and ideas of those who decide to come and work here too, and we must ensure that we find a way to embrace the innovation and knowledge they bring us.

The UK has many building and construction targets to reach and the demand for housing stock is still there. Inland Homes (the housebuilder and brownfield regeneration specialist) said last week, that the location of its operations – in Amersham, Buckinghamshire – and the pricing of its homes (£339,000 on average) meant that the business had continued to experience a solid level of enquiries from potential buyers during the 12 months ending June 30 2016. These fundamentals were not affected by the uncertainty preceding the EU referendum with buyer appetite since the   result remaining “stable,” Inland’s statement read.

Stephen Wicks, Inland’s CEO, commented: “We are confident that our underlying business is extremely robust and the demand for our high quality, lower cost homes remains strong.”
  
Despite the uncertainty causing some major construction or infrastructure projects to be put on hold or delayed, we need to have confidence in both our industry and our country to make us even stronger, despite our exit from the EU.

The industry is faced with big opportunities and so it must move forward with confidence. It is vitally important that the uncertainty does not lead to panic buying at low prices, so manufacturers and buyers must look at quality and innovation as being paramount in their strategic outlook. The companies that continue to offer differentiation will be the ones that grow both domestically and globally, and help the industry to remain a vibrant and developing one.

However, key to this is a real need for us to be seen as a global partner, looking to expand our reach, our expertise, our guidance, as well as having a willingness to welcome, learn from, and work with, other economies and specialists from all over the world.

There is a maxim called ‘The Law of Attraction’ which states that "like attracts like" i.e. - by focusing on positive or negative thoughts a person brings positive or negative experiences into their life. This belief is based on the idea that people and their thoughts are both made from "pure energy", and the belief that like energy attracts like energy.

We want to encourage everyone to spread a positive message and start to remove the toxic negative energy trying to destroy the economy and our industry.

So our message is clear: the foundations of our industry are still in place, and we should continue to build on it in order to thrive and prosper. We must not let Brexit deconstruct all the hard work and progress the industry has made over the last few years. So join us and get into a positive mindset and spread it everywhere you go.

The world is still spinning and Britain in still aiming to build higher than ever, so spread a little happiness as you go by…

Kitchen installations and sales are set to climb to a new high in 2016

Good news for the KBB sector with 2016 set to be a record year in terms of kitchen sales and installations, driven mainly by the refurbishment market, according to the 2016 Overview Report by JKMR, with numbers already having exceeded 1.1million last year for installations last year.

The report expects Kitchen sales to grow, anticipating the market to reach £3.7bn in value this year, having already grown by 8% last year to reach £3.5bn. However, JKMR notes that “external factors” will have some impact on growth rates, but the market still looks positive despite slowing growth.

The owner-occupier refurbishment market is still the dominant sales driver in the industry, the report found, with the sector commanding a 57% share of installations by client type in 2015, rising by 7.5%.

See the latest KBB sales jobs>>

The report also found that the number of kitchen retailers in the UK increased slightly last year thanks to “new store openings by Howden and Benchmarx off-setting B&Q and Homebase closures”. However, independents still command the largest market share, accounting for more than 40% of total market value. But despite a slight increase in 2015, store numbers are expected to drop in the next few years, JKMR said.

“JKMR analysis shows the market in 2015 saw owner-occupier refurb sales continue to grow, while sales to new build showed notable improvement, driving through growth for companies supplying the direct contract and trade sectors,” the report said. “All product sectors saw growth of at least 6.5%; but the sink/tap sector did particularly well, with sector growth in excess of 10%.”


Photo: Stock Photo: Woman picking oven for domestic kitchen in studio or furniture store
Image ID:231988105Copyright: Kzenon. Via Shutterstock.

BMF calls for construction industry Brexit talks with new Government

With the fallout from Brexit still causing concern and uncertainty on many areas of society, industry and business, the Builders Merchants Federation is calling for urgent talks with the government over the impact of Brexit on the construction industry. 

Following the appointment of the new Prime Minister, the BMF has written to key Ministers to highlight the urgency and importance to the UK economy and jobs of the construction sector. 

The BMF has welcomed the new Prime Minister, Teresa May's early pledge that the new government will prioritise housebuilding, but is calling for a clear plan from the Government that includes: 

• Assurances of continued support for housebuilding, investment in infrastructure to unlock sites, and further reforms to speed up the planning process 
• Recognition of the importance of investing in apprenticeships and other skills development in the industry to build a workforce for the future, taking account of the impact of the possible end of free movement. 
• Guarantees that the construction industry will be consulted about the impact of the transition to operating within a potential UK only framework, including new product standards and a possible return to the emphasis on the British Kite Mark 
• Confirmation that the BMF along with other key industry bodies, including the FMB and the CPA, will be consulted and involved in a dialogue with the government as Brexit talks and negotiation develops. 

BMF managing director John Newcomb said: "Construction is hugely important for the UK economy and it is vital that the industry is prioritised and consulted by the government as Brexit plans develop. 

We want to hear concrete commitments from the government to support housebuilding. It is also critical that we are involved in planning for the potential end of free movement, so that we have the skilled workforce ready that we will need for the future. 

We have had very constructive relations with David Cameron's government and we are looking forward to working closely with the new government".