Glenigan's construction forecasts 2013

We thought this construction forecast document would be useful to make available to you. It is produced by Glenigan.

Established in 1973, Glenigan is the trusted provider of UK construction project sales leads, market analysis, forecasting, and company intelligence.  Glenigan produces the construction industry Key Performance Indicators survey for ONS and BIS and is a regular contributor to the media.  Email us here for your copy.

Pinnacle Consulting is a UK wide construction sales recruitment agency.

CPA's State of Industry Survey reveals increase in lightside building products sales

The Construction Products Association's latest State of Trade Survey indicates that lightside building products sales rose in Q4 2012 but heavyside sales fell once again.

CPA economist, Milja Keijonen said: "After two disappointing quarters, sales of heavyside products fell once again due to difficult market conditions in the construction industry, where output fell 9% in the past year.

"However, sales of lightside products rose in Q4 as the difficult domestic market was offset by strong exports to fast growing Asian economies.

"Looking to the year ahead, both heavy and lightside manufacturers expect this to continue. Heavyside manufacturers anticipate sales to fall in 2013 due to a subdued domestic market, where construction output is forecast to fall by 2.2%. However, lightside manufacturers predict sales will increase in 2013, once again driven by export growth.

"2012 was a difficult year for the industry, certainly for heavyside manufacturers, and 2013 is also likely to be extremely challenging. Lightside manufacturers are going to be heavily reliant upon exports if they are to achieve significant growth in the next 12 months. Yet, risks for product manufacturers are clearly on the downside due to the prevailing economic conditions and the effectiveness of government initiatives to boost construction."

Key points from the survey:

• 13% of heavyside companies reported a fall in quarterly sales, whilst 46% of light side firms indicated that sales were higher compared with Q3
• 9% of heavyside manufacturers experienced a decline in sales year-on-year, on balance, whilst 21% of lightside companies stated that sales were higher on an annual basis
• 72% of heavyside and 79% of light side firms stated that costs had risen from a year ago
• According to 6% of heavyside and 13% of lightside manufacturers, employment fell, on balance. However, improvements in labour market conditions are anticipated in 2013

In our poll earlier this month we asked for your thoughts and predictions on the state of the UK construction industry in 2013 and beyond. You can still vote here.

Look at our latest construction sales jobs

Image courtesy of John Kasawa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Poll: State of the UK Construction industry in 2013

Since the second half of 2007 the economy of the UK has been very volatile and the construction industry - a major contributor to country’s GDP - has been greatly affected.

Despite some of the negativity which is about in the industry, we are pleased to report that, at Pinnacle Consulting, we are seeing an increase in new sales and marketing jobs being created; illustrating that success, growth and confidence is out there. This is encouraging as it means that companies are not just filling existing roles with new people.

In the last couple of years we have seen many false dawns with the forecasts predicting an upturn being short-lived or unfounded. The UK construction industry has yet to show signs of sustained growth and recent forecasts by the Construction Products Association indicate there isn’t much confidence that the worst is over.

Inactivity in construction has an obvious impact on manufacturers and distributors of building products. However, many have managed to survive and even thrive by a mixture of careful management, market driven product development, enhanced customer care, market sector focus and better use of IT and human resources. The companies that have survived are now well placed to exploit the opportunities in the industry when we finally see a sustained recovery.

The big question is: will 2013 see the start of this recovery or will it be another false dawn?

We would very much welcome your views on the state of the industry, as well as your hopes and predictions for 2013 and the drivers you think will put us on the road to recovery.

Please vote in our poll

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

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. 

Contact us on 01480 405225 or by email at recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk if you are looking to recruit or looking for a new job in the building products industry.

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Image courtesy of Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Internal Sales: How the changing nature of an internal sales office has benefited the employer and the employee - Part 4

There is little point changing your business focus or the way a department is run if there are not long-term benefits to all concerned. In the final part of our in-depth focus on internal sales and customer service, Neil Tilsley of Polypipe Ventilation explains how companies can benefit.

Improved service and customer satisfaction
Customers’ queries are answered with greater speed and intelligence, saving time and building the trust and confidence of the customer or potential partner. Satisfied customers are more likely to return the next time they have a need.

Increased sales and opportunities

The assistance from the office provides a more informed and educated sell, resulting in a greater amount of conversions due to the provision of better information for decision making. This more informed sell provides further opportunities, as the greater product and market knowledge that the internal person has increases the ‘add-on’ sales of other company products.

It also means the external sales team’s time is utilised better and referrals from the office have a greater chance of being secured.

Reduced errors 
When there is a large turnover of staff, or if employees are bored in their roles, there is a far greater chance of errors, especially in the processing of purchase orders. When people become experienced in their role these are significantly reduced, resulting in improved customer relationships and the reduction of the cost to the manufacturer of rectifying errors.

Pride and interest in the job

We want our employees to have pride in their jobs and by giving them greater empowerment and knowledge we are able to do this. Job satisfaction is very important and this pride should transfer to all that come into contact with the employee.

Ensuring that our employees are involved in the business means they show an active interest in what we are doing and why we are doing it. The role becomes more interesting and helps to keep employees motivated.

Improved company morale, greater employee loyalty and a more stable environment
If people are happy in their jobs then the whole company is buoyant, the team ethic throughout the company grows and we see that people are willing to go that extra mile when needed. This also helps encourage loyalty and a stable environment, which gives employees the confidence to grow and develop with the company.

I would like to wish all the best to any company looking to change the focus of their internal support function and to anyone looking to build a career in an internal sales/service environment. Good luck!

We would like to extend our special thanks to Neil at Polypipe Ventilation for his time and insight into our feature on internal sales in the building products industry. 

If you missed the rest of the series, you can catch up here:
Part 1: The changing nature of internal sales for a manufacturer of building products

Part 2: Five ways to ensure the internal support function is successful

Part 3: The skills, experience and attributes to look for when recruiting a customer service professional

If you are interested in starting or developing a career in internal sales or customer service, please contact us to discuss your requirements or to arrange to meet us at one of our specialised regional career development clinics for the building and construction industry. Contact us on 01480 405225 or email recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Take a look at our current internal sales vacancies.

Polypipe Ventilation designs and manufactures a full range of high quality ventilation systems for the domestic and light commercial building sectors. They specialise in supporting specifiers, contractors, developers, installers and operators by providing energy-saving ventilation solutions that meet Building Regulations and save time and money on site.

As a group, Polypipe design, develop and manufacture the widest range of plastic piping products, with over 20,000 product lines available. Their primary focus is on developing and supporting pragmatic product systems through specific knowledge and understanding of the residential, commercial, civils and infrastructure market sectors.

Image courtesy of  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

CPA predict 6% increase in private housebuilding in 2013

There has been some good news for the UK Construction Industry from the Construction Products Association as they forecast that private housebuilding will increase by 6% in 2013 and that roads construction output is set to rise by 8%.

However despite these encouraging signs they forecast that construction output will fall by more than 2% this year. These figures come on top of the sharp decline experienced in 2012, when the industry contracted by nearly 9% and indicate that recovery in the sector is still twelve months away.

Adding to the gloomy picture, figures released on Friday by the ONS for construction output in November, show there was a 3.4% decline month on month and a 9.8% decline from the same period a year ago, with the industry having lost £8 billion of work in the past twelve months.

Commenting on these forecasts, Noble Francis, Economics Director of the Construction Products Association, said: ‘Public sector construction work continues to bear the brunt of the government’s austerity drive and has fallen by 15% over the last two years. Our Forecasts show that it is expected to continue to fall by a further 7% this year. Unfortunately, growth from the private sector, which government hoped would compensate for this decline in public sector activity, has not materialised and it too continues to contract.

‘With new orders for construction falling significantly at the end of last year, 2013 is going to be a difficult year for the construction industry with output forecast to fall 2.2%. As the construction industry accounts for nearly 9% of GDP this contraction will be a major constraint on growth in the wider economy over the year ahead.

‘However, despite these forecasts, there are some sectors of construction where growth is anticipated. Private house building is expected to grow 6% in 2013 boosted by the Bank of England’s Funding for Lending Scheme and infrastructure investment, identified by government as essential for the recovery, is set to grow throughout the forecast period, due partly to Crossrail, the largest construction project in Europe, as well as the critical investment in energy that is long overdue.

‘Investment earmarked by the Chancellor in his autumn statement for road maintenance should provide some much needed activity across all regions of the UK, but it is important that this work is started immediately and used as a springboard for other economic activity if it is to have the desired impact.’

Key points in the Forecasts include:

• Housing starts in 2013 forecast to be 122,000, which is fewer than half that needed to meet the number of new households
• Activity in the commercial sector, the largest sector of construction, to fall 5.7% in 2013
• Retail construction output to fall 10% in 2013
• Output in education construction to fall 9.8% in 2013
• Health construction output to fall 8.7% in 2013
• Roads construction output to rise 8% in 2013 following 45% fall in 2012

Latest Construction Sales Jobs from Pinnacle Consulting

Featured Building Product Sales and Marketing Jobs for January 2013

January 2013 - We have lots of great new jobs on our books so you can start the year with a fresh challenge. Take a look at our sales, marketing opportunities in sealants, bathroom products, roofing and building products distribution.

• Call us on 01480 405225 to discuss any of our current vacancies 
• Email us on recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk
• Visit our website at www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk to find out about our full range of recruitment services for the building product sector.

See below for full details of our featured jobs (click 'Read more').

Keep informed of ALL our latest jobs when they become available on our Facebook page. Remember to click LIKE! to ensure you receive all the benefits.

Internal Sales: The skills, experience and attributes to look for when recruiting a Customer Service professional - Part 3

Selecting the right candidate with the right experience, attitude and cultural fit to make a difference to your business is always challenging and it is often difficult to pinpoint exactly what you are looking for. Neil Tilsley of Polypipe Ventilation tells us the five main things he looks for when recruiting an internal sales person.

A natural happy persona with a positive confident outlook
We look for candidates that can quickly build a rapport with callers and can communicate effectively. People still buy from people (it is even better if they have right product!) so we want people who can relate on both a personal and professional level to all our business partners.

We also firmly believe “like attracts like” so a consistent, positive outlook is an important characteristic to have in this environment as it is reflected back in the person they are speaking to. It is vital that if someone has a bad call this is not taken onto the next call.

Adaptability and a desire to learn 
It is a huge advantage if the person is flexible and has the ability and desire to learn. The role requires good all round skills which means the successful candidate must be able to adapt their approach to different caller types, for instance, on one call to be an information provider, on the next to sell and on the next give basic technical support.

A forward thinking company will introduce new systems and products all the time and the employee must have the appetite and desire to learn new ideas.

Able to handle a difficult situation
Difficult situations often arise in a sales office/service environment, but we want people who see these as ‘challenges’ and turn them into huge positives for the individual and the company. The industry can be multi-faceted and coordinating everything can be a logistical nightmare, but one which could be a ‘game changer’ for a potential partner if handled correctly, and help to put you onto a different level to that of the competition.

We also need the successful candidate to be competent with complaint-handling and be able to keep their cool and deal in facts based on data and outcomes, but with a dose of common sense and understanding of all sides of the situation.

IT systems confidence
IT has probably been the biggest change we have seen in the last few years due to the rapid development of databases and web-based systems providing more powerful tools and this trend will only continue. Therefore, it is vital that those we recruit are comfortable and confident using them and exploiting their full potential.

Industry (or relevant) experience
The building and construction sales environment is quite demanding and ideally, but not wholly, we look for people who have experience in a similar environment.

In the last part of the series, we discuss with Neil what the benefits to the company and the employee have been as a result of the changing nature of an internal sales/customer service office of a building product manufacturer.

If you missed the rest of the series, you can catch up here:
Part 1: The changing nature of internal sales for a manufacturer of building products
Part 2: Five ways to ensure the internal support function is successful

If you are interested in starting or developing a career in internal sales or customer service, please contact us to discuss your requirements or to arrange to meet us at one of our specialised regional career development clinics for the building and construction industry. Contact us on 01480 405225 or email recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Take a look at our current internal sales vacancies.

Polypipe Ventilation designs and manufactures a full range of high quality ventilation systems for the domestic and light commercial building sectors. They specialise in supporting specifiers, contractors, developers, installers and operators by providing energy-saving ventilation solutions that meet Building Regulations and save time and money on site.

As a group, Polypipe design, develop and manufacture the widest range of plastic piping products, with over 20,000 product lines available. Their primary focus is on developing and supporting pragmatic product systems through specific knowledge and understanding of the residential, commercial, civils and infrastructure market sectors.

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Construction Materials and Products Industry Event Planner

We are pleased to announce that our construction industry events planner section of the Pin Board Blog has been updated for 2013.

We detail all the major exhibitions / events relating to the construction / building industry and related trades.

Check out our timetable of exhibitions and events and plan your schedule.

Visiting a trade show or conference is often the best way to network and also an ideal opportunity to keep informed of the latest products or trends within your sector and the industry as a whole. They are also ideal if your are considering a new job in the industry and should form an integral part of your research.

View our building and construction industry events planner and make sure you don't miss out on the event that is relevant to your job and your industry.

Our planner will be added to on a regular basis as new events are announced.

As building industry recruitment speciaists Pinnacle Consulting visit many of these exhibitions throughout the UK, so if you would like to arrange to meet one of our expert industry-specific specialist consultants. please contact us today on T: 01480 405225 E: recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Take a look at our latest building industry sales jobs.

Career Development Clinics for January: Building Materials and Products Sales

It is a new year and if you are ready for a new job or even a long-term evaluation of the direction your career is going, then contact us to attend one of our FREE PinBuild Career Development Clinics being held throughout the UK this January.

PinBuild Clinics are designed for sales and marketing professionals in the building products, construction and interiors sectors and provide specialist career advice throughout your time in the industry.

Arrange to meet one of our specialist consultants to help develop your career in the building & construction industry. 

Tel: 01480 405225 Email: recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

January 2013 PinBuild Clinics

• Thursday 17th January - Leeds
• Wednesday 23rd January - Coventry
• Thursday 24th January - Norfolk
• Thursday 31st January - Nottingham

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.

Building products sales jobs

Building products marketing jobs

Building products management jobs