Six reasons for construction sales professionals to follow us on social media

Looking for a new construction sales job is difficult at the best of times, especially when you already have a job. Sometimes the last thing you want to do when you get home is start searching the web or spend time honing your interview technique. And, often, it is when you are not even looking for a job that the best opportunities present themselves.

Although you have probably found this post via social media, we want to make it easy for you to find new opportunities and with our social media sites we can - whether you are actually looking for a new challenge or not. So if you haven't liked or followed us yet or would prefer to keep informed via a channel you did not know we were on, then read on.

Reasons why you should follow us...
1. Maximise your exposure to the jobs available, when they become available – avoiding the disappointment of finding out that the vacancy has already been filled

2. Let the opportunities come to you as part of your normal routine, so you don't miss out on the perfect opportunity you never knew existed!

3. Know when we are in next your area, so that we can meet for an informal and confidential chat about your career

4. Gain expert industry specific recruitment and job seeking advice and guidance

5. Keep informed on key news in the building and construction industry

6. Learn from our industry specific and job type in-depth features to help in your current or future jobs

Keep in touch via the links below:

• Facebook
• Google +
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

In addition, we also have our regular eNewsletter, Pin Points, so subscribe today.

You can search our latest opportunities, if you are interested in a new construction or building products sales job or call us on 01480 405225.

Report says KBB distributors' market will be worth more than £1bn within 4 years

Great news for the KBB distributors’ market according to a report by AMA Research. The market is expected to be worth £1.1bn by 2018 signalling a return to pre-recession levels.

The report is dedicated to the sector as it incorporates original input and represents a comprehensive, informed and unique review of this market. It contains information collated using a wide range of sources and is specific and relevant to the distributors market and not simply a broad collection of government statistics/fiscal data.

The market was estimated to be worth £840m at the end of 2013 and is set to continue improving over the next year. This sustained increase is driven by improved housing sales and the dramatic increase in housebuilding we have seen in 2014.

Sales to kitchen and bathroom specialists dominated the distributors' market, the report shows that these account for 40%, whereas builders' merchants made up 29%.

If you are looking to recruit or looking for a sales job in the KBB sector, we can help. Call us on 01480 405225 or visit our KBB sales website.

The AMA report also stated that distributors had focused on logistics to reduce transport costs and also by offering differentiated product offerings along with their own brand product ranges. This strategy helped to provide higher margins.  

One of the main factors impacting margins in the last couple of years has been the increasing raw material costs and higher transport costs. This has affected manufacturers and distributors throughout the construction and building industry.

Direct supply channels, such as the internet – worth around £378m of the bathroom and kitchen products sector in 2013, together with mail order distribution – was also continuing to influence the market and has increased the level of competition for distributors and a need to adapt their sales and marketing approach. Online retailers have become more important as consumers increasingly use the internet to source the best deals on price and delivery.

Online trading, widening product portfolios, value-added services – including kitchen design – own branding, and improved point of sale, packaging and general marketing, were identified as opportunities for growth for the distributors.

As an overview, the report contains detailed information on:

• Supply infrastructure - market size of K&B industry, distribution phases, value by channel, distributors' value share, overview of key merchants and retailers.
• Distributor assessment - market size and development of the distributors' channel, national and regional companies, key companies, recent trends, future prospects, customer analysis.
• Analysis by product group - market sizes, distributor shares, key trends relating to: Kitchen Furniture, Kitchen Appliances, Bathroom Products, Shower Controls/Enclosures/Screens/Trays.

If you would like to read our feature on how KBB manufacturers and distributors can support the independent bathroom showrooms, you can do so here.

To purchase 'Kitchen and Bathroom Supply Chain – Focus on Distributors – UK 2014-2018 Analysis' market report visit www.amaresearch.co.uk or call 01242 235724.

Construction sales and marketing recruitment growing at its fastest rate since 2007

Companies in the UK's construction industry are hiring staff at their fastest ever rate to cope with a sharp rise in house building activity. This was revealed by the figures in the latest Markit/CIPS construction PMI survey released at the start of July.  

However, job creation in the construction industry as a whole is also on the increase with manufacturers and merchants of construction products and building materials also seemingly recruiting at their fastest rate since 2007.

The trigger to this is bigger workloads encouraging companies to take on construction workers and building contractors to meet demand due to the increase in construction projects. Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit, said the record job creation represented "a remarkable yardstick of progress as the sector looks to recover the ground lost over the past seven years".

Moore continued: "A key recent development across the construction sector has been the return to pre-recession rates of job creation, following a prolonged period of falling payroll numbers and cuts to operating capacity."

It is this job creation which is reflected in the increase of vacancies being advertised through Pinnacle Consulting, leading sales and marketing construction recruitment specialists for the UK building and construction industry.

Pinnacle Consulting has seen the largest amount of vacancies on their books since the Spring of 2007 and the largest number of potential candidates contacting them with the confidence it is the time to progress their careers within construction sales and marketing.

Steve Rogan, Managing Director of Pinnacle Consulting said: "The message is now loud and clear from our clients that there is a real need to react to the increase in demand for building products. The general feeling is it is time to exploit and maximise potential sales by ensuring their products get stocked, specified and purchased by the industry, rather than their competitors. However, human resource is required to service the demand."

Steve also said: "Many companies just had to survive during the dark days of the recession and their careful recruitment management strategies have now enabled many of our clients to be in healthy position to start recruiting for growth. Specification selling jobs and construction marketing jobs seem to be two areas where the major increases have been seen."

www.pinnaceconsulting.co.uk

KBB Industry News: Whirlpool to buy huge stake in Indesit

Leading home appliance manufacturer, Whirlpool, has agreed to buy a majority stake in Indesit for an expected €758m.

Whirlpool has made this move to help grow its European business which it said will help it to grow its business in Europe. 

Whirlpool said it has entered into a binding agreement to buy a 42.7% stake from Indesit's top investor Fineldo SpA. The deal has been concluded at a purchase price of €11 per Indesit share.

It will also buy a 13.2% stake from members of the Merloni family, who founded Indesit in 1975, as well as a 4.4% stake from Claudia Merloni.

This will eventually mean that Whirlpool will own 66.8% of Indesit's voting stock.

Whirlpool Corporation chairman and CEO Jeff M. Fettig said the acquisition will position the company “for sustainable growth in the highly competitive and increasingly global home appliance market in Europe”.

Fineldo SpA CEO Gian Oddone Merli added: “The agreement provides Indesit with the tools to build a solid and sustainable future.”

If you are interested in working in the KBB Industry, take a look at our latest KBB sales jobs.

Housebuilding helps construction industry grow at fastest pace for four months

Housebuilding helped the UK construction industry to grow at its fastest pace for four months in June according to the latest Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI) survey.

The construction sector rose in June to 62.6 in June from 60.0 in May (a score above 50 indicates growth).

The survey also showed that construction firms have been hiring new staff at the fastest rate since the survey began in 1997. 

Likewise, we have noticed that manufacturers of construction products are also recruiting at a greater rate for construction sales and marketing professionals, which has been proven by a large increase in sales jobs vacancies advertised by ourselves at Pinnacle Consulting.

Housebuilding was the fastest-growing sector in the construction industry as it produced the largest expansion in activity and the fastest growth in new orders since January, which is great news for manufacturers and distributors of building products for residential housing.

Markit said accelerating house prices, low interest rates and strong demand continue to encourage housebuilders to launch new housing developments.

The Markit/CIPS survey found the commercial property sector, which faced near collapse following the 2008 financial crisis, also saw an increase in activity last month.

We need the commercial and housebuilding sectors to be healthy in order to sustain the fantastic progress the construction industry has seen during 2014.

Construction Job in Focus for July: European Product Manager for Architectural Aluminium Systems

Our Construction Products Industry Job in Focus for July is a great sales and marketing opportunity to develop product strategy throughout Europe for curtain walling, sliding doors and window solutions.

Each month our Job in Focus feature takes a detailed look at some of the fantastic sales and marketing construction and building materials job vacancies currently on our books. Job in Focus is also promoted on our website.

Visit www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk 


Job Title: European Product Manager
Job Ref: J4397
Product: Curtain Walling
Location: North West
Salary: £75k
Sector: Marketing

EMPLOYER: Our client are a leading supplier of architectural aluminium systems including curtain walling, sliding doors and window solutions. 

JOB DESCRIPTION: European Product Manager: The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and coordinating product management strategy taking into consideration legal requirements, trends and cultural differences across Europe. Other tasks include analysing market developments, assess overseas customer needs and review product portfolio, revenue details and deliver new products on time and to budget. 

LOCATION: North West - ideally based in Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire or Staffordshire 

CANDIDATE: To apply for this role you will need experience working in the construction sector in a European Product Manager or related role. You also need to be a strong communicator, have worked across multiple countries with senior decision makers and be a strategic thinker. There will also be a requirement for European travel. 

PACKAGE: On offer is a basic salary of £50,000 to £75,000 basic plus other benefits. 

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

Construction Sales Jobs Recruitment Clinics July 2014

If you're ready for your next career move in construction products sales and you would like an independent evaluation of your career? Why not arrange to attend one of our FREE PinBuild Career Development Clinics this July at a location near you.

PinBuild Clinics are for sales professionals in the construction and building products sector. They provide specialist career advice & a match to our latest construction sales vacancies.

Call to arrange to meet one of our Consultants 01480 405225 or e-mail recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Next clinic dates

• Wednesday 9th July - Reading
• Wednesday 16th July - Cardiff

Our current jobs: You might find one you'd like to discuss: Search for building 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.'

Stay ahead of the pack by recruiting the best construction sales professionals

As the Tour de France hits the UK, before it starts its gruelling trek through France, it is an opportune moment to focus our minds on our businesses and the importance of staying ahead of the pack.

Just like the Tour de France, it should be a team effort and that includes suppliers of the vital equipment and services which help us to stay ahead of the competition and be pioneers in our markets. All your team members are key to this success. 

However, finding high quality sales, marketing and management professionals who are right for the building and construction industry is not that simple. We hope we can make it easier for you.

When you consider the lifetime cost of employing someone, you begin to realise how much of an investment you are making. With any other type of investment of this size, expert specialist advice would be sought and the necessary time allocated to the decision-making process.

We can all be experts in our own roles, but try doing someone else’s job for a week - it's tough and you can feel lost. However, when you are working alongside that person in your everyday job, you add real value to each other and success will follow. The same can be applied to recruitment: the appointment of a specialist recruitment agency to work with the employer should give real benefit and ensure that the chances of finding and developing the right employee are maximised.

To be able to place the right candidates, a recruitment agency should be able to prove they have a sound understanding and knowledge of your company, your products and services, your markets and customers, as well as your activity, approach and reasons for needing to recruit.

Understanding your industry by using a specialist recruitment agency that operates exclusively in your field and a consultant who also understands your specific company and needs provides you with a much more valuable service. At Pinnacle, we believe we can offer both.

We specialise in sales and marketing recruitment for the building and construction industry. We live and breathe the industry and feel like a supplier of a building product ourselves - the product that helps to build successful businesses.

So, if you are struggling to move through the gears when recruiting, we can be your crucial link in the chain to help you over the finish line.

Take your own tour of our services and contact us today. www.pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

01480 405225 or recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk