Meet us at KBB or Ecobuild 2018 to discuss your career

Two of the best trade exhibitions in the building and construction industry are almost here. First, the KBB show and then quickly followed by Ecobuild - perhaps too quickly! Not the best of planning by the organisers in all reality (again). However, it is important we support these fantastic exhibitions and help ensure they're part of our calendar for many years to come. Take the time out to visit and catch up on the latest products and developments.

Our building industry recruitment consultants will also be attending these shows, so if you would like to meet up to discuss your career opportunities or if you are a company looking to recruit and are able to take some time out to discuss your needs, then contact us to arrange a confidential meeting on 01480 405225 or by email recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

4th - 7th March

kbb (Kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms)
NEC, Birmingham
www.kbb.co.uk

kbb Birmingham is the UK’s largest gathering of the world’s most exciting kbb brands. It is one the UK's most vibrant shows and focused on an industry everyone can relate to, as it is such a visible part of all our homes and places of work and leisure.

kbb is the unrivalled platform for architects, interior designers, retailers, contractors, plumbers and developers to network, source and specify the latest kitchen, bedroom and bathroom products.

Search for the latest KBB sales jobs.

6th - 8th March

ecobuild
ExCeL, London
www.ecobuild.co.uk

As well as hundreds of exhibitors, you can also:

• Attend high-quality conference sessions for free. The ecobuild conference takes its lead from global environmental targets. Hear from leading figures including Paula Caballero, journalists Polly Toynbee and Rowan Moore; campaigner Tony Juniper, Baroness Young of Old Scone and John Elkington
• Discover all communities that make up the built environment in a series of themed future build districts with inspiring features and seminars.
• Take part in facilitated networking like you’ve never experienced before
• Find curated product galleries from key industry influencers
• Source products and solutions from hundreds of progressive suppliers
• Gain CPD points from nine educational programmes

Pinnacle Consulting - recruitment for the building products sector
If you would like a change in your career within the building and construction industry, contact us to discuss your career on 01480 405225 or take a look at our latest construction and building products jobs.

Are exhibitions a key part of your sales and marketing strategy?

It is coming up to exhibition season and it reminded us at Pinnacle of that much-discussed topic of if exhibitions are still worth it for manufacturers and merchants in building and construction industry?

Many of our clients, who we provide sales and marketing recruitment services to in the construction industry are beginning to question whether their funds can be spent better elsewhere, whereas some still benefit greatly from trade shows.

Construction products' Marketing Managers usually breathe a huge sigh of relief when a major exhibition has finished and then many Sales professionals become eager to start working their way through the wheat and chaff of the leads generated.

And then, of course, there are the Managing Directors, Commercial Managers and Financial Directors anxious to ensure the leads generate new business to justify the expense of the show.

So with all these people involved are trade exhibitions really still worth the investment or just a costly flag-waving exercise?

A large trade exhibition doesn’t just take a week out of a company’s time; it is a huge investment of people time and finance.

The preparation of a successful show takes months: selecting the space and position; design of the stand; deciding on your objectives and key messages, writing the copy; design of any graphics; creating any necessary new literature; arranging electrics and stand services; completing reams of paperwork; organising promotions; inviting customers and prospects; organising travel, accommodation and stand personnel; building of the stand; coordinating everything with product launches, printing of literature; arranging giveaways, sales samples and demonstrations for the stand as well as maximising the press coverage of your presence. After all that comes the break down of the stand and then dealing with requests for information and following up all the leads post-show. It is tiring just thinking about it!

Stands become a sales and marketing team’s 'home' for the week and some stands can cost almost as much as a small house itself - perhaps they should be included in the UK housebuilding figures!

Any responsible marketer has to think carefully about their show strategy: which show to exhibit at, what to promote, how to maximise the number and type of people visiting the stand. You cannot just expect the show to be a success, otherwise, the expense should perhaps be used elsewhere.

There are many questions to consider when deciding whether to exhibit:

• Do we need to be there to enhance our profile and reputation?
• Can we reach people we wouldn't normally be able to see?
• Is the opportunity to bring people to us and actually show them our product a major benefit?
• Would we have got these leads anyway?
• Could we have spent this money better elsewhere?
• Can we afford to have our sales team off the road for a week?
• Do we actually have anything new and interesting to say?
• Can we now reach people just as effectively with all the opportunities the Internet provides?
• Does it fit in with our business strategy and objectives?
• Will we put as much time and effort in post-exhibition as we do into organising it?

And there are many, many more which will keep Sales and Marketing Managers' brains active for weeks during planning and budgeting time.

We would like to gain your view as Sales, Marketing and Management professionals of construction products, manufacturers and distributors, whether you feel that exhibitions still play an important part in your sales and marketing strategy.

Superb Director's Position in KBB sector - £60k + bonus

Our new Job in Focus is a National UK Director role working for a company producing High-end Porcelain Tiles & KBB Products - £60k+ bonus. You would responsible for Sales, Admin, Operations, Marketing, and HR. You will lead the development the UK Sales of this European manufacturer in bathroom sector

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 IN FOCUS FULL DETAIL

Job Title: UK Director
Job Ref: J10008
Product: Ceramic Tiles
Location: National
Salary: £60k

UK Director vacancy working for a high-end porcelain tiles and bathroom products manufacturer 

Package: Basic Salary £50,000 to £60,000 plus 20% bonus, company car, phone, laptop, 30 days holidays and pension. 

Role: UK Director - This role is vital for our client as they are looking for a candidate that will be given the task of growing its UK Business. This person will be fully responsible for our clients business in the UK which will include everything from management and recruitment of the sales, admin and warehouse staff, HR responsibilities, marketing, business strategy and general business management on a day to day basis. You will be supported by our clients head office and work closely with senior members of the management team in Europe. 

Location: National Coverage but ideally in West Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Leicestershire or Worcestershire 

Candidate: Our client is looking for a candidate who has a background of managing a sales team as well as being involved in all other aspects of running a business within the tile and bathroom or closely related product sectors. 

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

Show your love for the Construction Industry today

To celebrate St. Valentine's day, we thought we'd celebrate the building and construction industry, especially why we love working in it.

We have produced a guide, detailing some reasons why we think it is possibly the best industry in the world to work in. Download it here. Let us know what you think.


Photo from Shutterstock

UK bathroom market to grow by 12% over the next four years

The UK market for bathroom products achieved value growth of around 3% in 2017. The pace of growth has lessened over the last 12 months compared to the previous 2-3 years, with modest growth expected in 2018 and 2019. The main factors influencing the market include lower levels of consumer and business confidence, in turn impacting on demand for bathroom products. Overall market growth between 2017 and 2021 is forecast at around 12%.

Baths and sanitary ware is the largest sector of the bathroom products market, followed by bathroom accessories, taps and mixers, bathroom furniture and whirlpool/spa systems. In terms of trends, demand for quality bathroom products with additional features is expected to remain significant and will be supported by a greater level of replacement purchases as consumers upgrade to higher value solutions, with aesthetics continuing to exert a notable influence on consumer choice.

The growing consumer preference for minimalist, wall-hung and countertop designs will impact volume demand for sanitaryware. This trend will support the growth of prefabricated solutions, installation frames and concealed plastic cisterns. Taps and mixers will increasingly be used as a means of differentiation in domestic and certain commercial environments, with higher quality finishes and contemporary styling.

Popular products include space-saving solutions such as wall-hung sanitaryware, slim-line wash basins and short-projection furniture. While in the baths sector, compact shower baths, small freestanding baths and space-saving ‘back-to-wall’ D shaped/skirted baths, continue to gain share.

In the bathroom furniture sector there is increasing demand for clever ‘invisible’ storage solutions that ensure that the bathroom remains tidy and clutter free. The market for bathroom accessories is likely to remain positive as consumers buy accessories as an easy and cost-effective way to update and personalise their bathroom.

Going forward, new housebuilding volumes are set to stabilise despite the economic uncertainty. Prospects remain positive in this sector and will support demand for bathroom products installed in new build homes, while RMI activity is expected to be more constrained in the next 2-3 years. Commercial private work will also remain a key driver of activity across a number of applications, including hotels and leisure.

“The wide variation in UK bathroom size will continue to provide opportunities for product
development to suit the various types of bathrooms such as ensuite, cloakroom installations etc.” said Hayley Thornley, Research Manager at AMA Research.

“Modern, digital and advanced technology, such as digital taps and sensors to control temperature and flow, motion sensor LED mirrors and Bluetooth entertainment systems, will become more widely used in the bathroom as consumers and businesses become increasingly aware of their benefits.

Consumers are demanding quality products that will last and use the internet to search for the best deals available.”

This will be boosted by the Disabled Facility Grant (DFG) provision to pay sanitaryware for easier maneuverability, thermostatic and lever operated tapware controls, and shower toilets. This will be boosted by the Disabled Facility Grant (DFG) provision to pay for improvements such as accessible showering facilities, which is set to double over the next 2-3 years to over £500 million in 2019/20.

The ‘Bathroom Market Report – UK 2017-2021 Analysis’ report is published by AMA Research, a leading provider of market research and consultancy services with over 25 years’ experience within the construction and home improvement markets. The report is available now and can be ordered online at www.amaresearch.co.uk or by calling 01242 235724.

Pic from Shutterstock

Construction output still in growth, but only just!

UK construction companies reported a subdued start to 2018, with total industry activity barely rising. A return to contraction in residential building activity was accompanied by near-stagnant commercial and civil engineering activity. New orders declined, linked by many companies to market uncertainty.

On a more positive note, confidence towards future growth prospects improved, with many firms anticipating an increase in new project wins later in the year. Meanwhile, intense cost pressures continued across the UK construction sector.

The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) posted 50.2 in January, down from 52.2 in December. The figure was just above the neutral 50.0 no-change mark, thereby signalling a fractional rate of growth that was the weakest for four months.

The latest data signalled that the sector’s main driver of growth in recent months, house building, slipped into decline, ending a 16-month expansion.

Meanwhile, commercial building returned to growth, reversing a six-month period of decline, though the pace of expansion was only marginal. Civil engineering activity also rose, representing an improvement on the declines seen late last year, though the increase was likewise only very modest.

The rate of job creation eased to an 18-month low in line with the reduced growth of building activity. Whilst some firms hired additional staff in anticipation of future new project wins, others reported job shedding in response to lower workloads.

New orders received by UK construction companies decreased slightly for the first time in four months during the latest survey period. Many respondents linked falling new business to worries fuelled by general political and economic uncertainty.

Despite softening marginally since December, cost pressures remained intense in January. Inflation in input costs was driven by a variety of materials such as bricks, copper and timber.

Sub-contractor usage increased during January, thereby ending a ten-month sequence of decline. Furthermore, the latest expansion was the strongest seen since November 2016. In response, sub-contractor availability fell sharply.

Despite subdued total industry activity growth and falling new orders, optimism among UK construction companies improved in January. Many firms anticipate a pick-up in new business wins later in the year.

Sam Teague, Economist at IHS Markit and author of the IHS Markit/CIPS Construction PMI® said:

“January’s PMI data indicated a difficult start to 2018 for the UK’s construction sector, underlined by business activity growth slumping to a four-month low and new orders sliding back into decline.

“A contraction in house building added to the lacklustre commercial building and civil engineering markets, and reduced inflows of new work suggest overall activity could slip into decline in February. Furthermore, cost pressures remained intense, fuelled by shortages of input materials and high costs for imported products.

“Survey respondents reported increased hesitance among clients to invest in new projects amid heightened concerns over the UK economic outlook. Encouragingly, however, firms generally expect things to improve later in the year. Constructors’ optimism towards future growth prospects reached a seven-month high. Many forecasted that the soft patch in construction demand would be short-lived and new project wins would pick up throughout the year, though this will inevitably depend on how Brexit negotiations play out. Despite the upturn, optimism remains worryingly low by historical standards.”

Duncan Brock, Director of Customer Relationships at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said:

“The construction PMI delivered meagre results for January as any hopes for a stellar start to the year were eclipsed by a surprisingly poor show from the housing sector, offering its worst performance since July 2016. Not even a marginal improvement in commercial and civil engineering could prevent a near-stagnation in overall activity as the index hovered near the no-change mark.

“The blocks to progress included a sharp rise in costs and a shortage of key materials, which contributed to longer lead times as supplier capabilities were stretched to their limits.

“Against this challenging backdrop, though larger orders from cautious clients also failed to materialise, firms retained a sunny disposition with optimism at a seven-month high and a slight rise in employment continued.

“With construction teetering on the edge of contraction, this surprise outcome will serve as a jolt to policymakers, that the impact of political and economic uncertainty remains large at the beginning of 2018.”

Photo: From Shutterstock

Job in Focus: Regional Sales Manager for Paints and Coatings in North - £55k + bonus

Our new Job in Focus is a fantastic Sales Management role, with four reports, selling Paints, Chemicals and Coatings. You would be responsible for developing relationships and agreements with Regional Contractors and Housebuilders via specification. The role is based in the North and comes with a salary of £55k + bonus.

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 IN FOCUS FULL DETAIL

Job Title: Regional Sales Manager
Job Ref: J9923
Product: Paints, Chemicals & Coatings
Location: North
Salary: £55k + 25% bonus

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER TO LEAD A TEAM FOR AN ESTABLISHED BRAND IN THE PAINT CHEMICALS AND COATINGS SECTOR 

PACKAGE: Up to £55K basic salary plus bonus of up to 25% bonus, car, pension, healthcare, mobile phone, laptop and excellent holiday scheme. 

EMPLOYER: An established market leader in the paint, chemicals and coatings sector with a recognised brand. 

JOB DESCRIPTION: Reporting to the National Sales Manager, you will have 4 field sales representatives reporting to you and you will lead, motivate and develop them as well as negotiating with key regional contractors and house builders. Additional responsibilities include: 

• Handling key senior level national agreements with all key stakeholders in the specification process 
• You will drive the continued development of the region with strong profit focused thinking as well as strong leadership 
• Increasing volume of premium products in line with contractor/specification strategy and company targets 

LOCATION: Field based covering the North of England so you could live in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Cleveland, County Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear. This role will require extensive travel throughout the North with overnight stays. 

CANDIDATE: You will be an experienced manager used to leading a sales team within the construction sector targeting the specification/housebuilder or contractor market. Additionally, you must be able to demonstrate a successful track record of advanced sales and negotiation skills and have strong interpersonal skills. 

For further information or to discuss your career options contact Natalie Matthews on 01480 405 225 or apply online.