People @ THE GL@ZINE

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Fiona Lund Appointed Director & General Manager of Michael Rigby Associates

Marketing agency, Michael Rigby Associates has promoted Fiona Lund from Business Development Director to the position of Director and General Manager. Fiona has been with the company for eight years.

‘We had been growing fast,’ says Managing Director Mike Rigby, ‘but since winning ‘Agency of the Year’ in The Construction Marketing Awards in 2004 for the proactive trade and consumer PR we do, our business has accelerated.

More companies have seen what we achieve for our customers and wanted us to help them grow faster and more profitably too. And Fiona has played a big part in helping customers achieve these dramatic results.

We describe what we do as PR Plus, but most of our customers would say it goes well beyond PR to include marketing strategy and general marketing.

‘The creation of this new role will ensure that we continue to fulfil our promise to existing and to new customers in the construction, home improvement and DIY markets. I will be working closely with Fiona and the team to make sure we do just that.’

Tel: 01453 521621
Email: mailto:fiona@521621.com

JoTika Software Appoints Technical Director

Glass processing software development company, JoTiKa Software, has strengthened its management team by appointing Phil Turner as Technical Director.

Phil is a specialist in leading edge software development for major companies, with extensive expertise in handheld computers, Real-time & PLC based machine control systems, and web based network solutions.

Phil takes over from John Gold the task of managing the JoTiKa software development team, leaving John with more time to concentrate on developing new markets, both in the UK and overseas.

Web: http://www.jotika.com

WFM Cardiff Gets a New Branch Manager

Dexter Roberts took over as Branch Manager of Window Fitters Mate (WFM) Cardiff earlier this year and has already made quite an impact. Dexter has been in the windows and building trade for most of his life, and his considerable experience has ensured the continued growth of WFM Cardiff in what some have described as very difficult trading conditions.

When asked how he has been dealing with the competition Dexter said: ‘Service and choice have been the mainstay of our success. Unlike most other window trade counters we offer a one-stop-shop and can supply anything a fitter wants - from the latest hi-spec windows through to screws and mastic. For example, as well as free use of the branch skip (which I hasten to add is extremely popular), one of the services we now offer is free glass cleaner and free silicon for orders over £50. Also, once a month, we hold a breakfast meeting whereby our customers can come in and have a cup of tea and a bacon butty. It gives them an opportunity to let us know what they want from their trade counter.

‘It is these small, but important and personal, touches that help build a real rapport with our customers and means we rapidly establish great working relationships with them.’

This approach, coupled with its location just off the busy Rover Way in the Tremorfa Industrial Estate, has meant the branch continues to go from strength to strength - especially its conservatory business, which has seen much growth in the last six months.

WFM says that it operates the largest branch network of its kind in the UK, offering a professional local service with the back-up and purchasing power of a national operation. It provides a one-stop shop for window, door and conservatory products and roofing systems from leading manufacturers, together with all the necessary ancillaries to complete an installation.

New Faces at Avocet

Two key new appointments have recently been made at Avocet Hardware to continue the smooth and cost efficient operation of the company. Gary Bennett has taken up his role as Head of Supply Chain, while Chris Mallin brings over 15 years of experience to his new position as Head of IT.

Gary is used to dealing with multi million pound stock budgets, having spent the past 15 years as Supply Chain Manager at Focus DIY. His new job responsibilities include developing and increasing Avocet's Supply Chain team; improving processes while continuing to forge stronger relationships with all supply partners in the Far East, India and Europe. Gary's experiences stand him in good stead at Avocet and will enable him to contribute greatly to the company’s overall strategy.

Chris also brings with him a wealth of expertise spending the last eight years with Unilever; where he held a number of challenging IT leadership roles and more recently was Head of the Architecture and Technology Group. His challenge at Avocet is to build a team with the necessary skills and competencies to ensure that the company's technology and information resources develop to stay ahead of a demanding business plan for growth.

‘We are delighted to welcome both Gary and Chris to the team,’ comments Chris Morris, Managing Director of Avocet. ‘One of our business objectives is to improve the effectiveness of the manufacturing and supply chain operations, paying particular attention to the supply chain and the logistical aspects. The appointment of these two key members of staff is an integral procedure in the future productivity of Avocet.’

Both view their roles as a welcome challenge and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial association with Avocet.

Caption: Christopher Mallin new Head of IT and Gary Bennett Avocet's new Supply Chain Manager.

New Manager for Total Glass Commercial

Total Glass Commercial has strengthened its management team with the appointment of John Williams as Commercial Manager to head up its new division dedicated to the local authority and social housing sector.

John brings a wealth of experience to his role, having worked in all aspects of the industry's trade and commercial markets for over 27 years. His responsibilities include overseeing and further developing Total Glass Commercial's on-going success in the public sector where the company has long-standing and established partnerships with a number of leading housing trusts and social housing providers.

'This is an exciting time for TGC and I am looking forward to helping drive future growth as the company moves forward within this very dynamic sector,' comments John.

With a 100,000 sq ft factory fully equipped with state-of-the-art production facilities, plus a highly-trained and skilled workforce, TGC is well placed to meet the exacting demands of the public sector supplying quality Part L compliant windows and composite doors to Best Value criteria.

Tel: 0151 549 3145
Web: http://www.tgcommercial.com

Aztec Develops its ‘Dream Team’

Additional recruitment and restructuring is giving customers of Aztec Conservatory Roof Systems what the company bills as ‘a dream team’ for technical and sales support.

The independent conservatory roof systems company, Aztec, has enlisted the resources of Duncan Bennett as design and development manager to work alongside Gordon Cooke and Rob Small.

Aztec Conservatory Roof Systems' new technical and sales support team(l-r) Rob Small, John Sales and Duncan Bennett

John Sales, Aztec technical director, comments, ‘Duncan has within days of arriving proved himself to be a huge asset to us and our customers. I believe we now have a 'dream team' for customers with Duncan complementing our established technical force of Gordon Cooke and Rob Small. The team has gelled and is working excellently together, and with our customers, who in turn are increasingly commenting on the approachability of Aztec and its personnel, and our ability to understand any issues and help resolve them quickly and efficiently.’

Aged 37, Duncan has worked in the window and conservatory industry for 21 years, from hands-on roles on the shopfloor to management level. With a high commitment to the industry Duncan has extensive experience at designing and implementing new products and systems. He has a vast knowledge and insight of the industry and is adept at conceiving and developing new concepts that facilitate the window and conservatory industry.

Email: mailto:contact@aztecsystems.co.uk

New Appointments at Sheppee

Sheppee International Ltd based at Elvington near York has announced two appointments to strengthen its management team.

Elliott Seymour steps up from being Works Manager to become Operations Director and Chris Stocks has been recruited to become Customer Support Engineer.

Sheppee International Ltd is a manufacturer of production line equipment for the glass industry with over 75 per cent of its production going overseas. Sheppee says that its products are widely acknowledged to be at the cutting edge of technology so customers from around the globe regularly seek advice from the firm for their manufacturing problems.

(l to r): Elliott Seymour, Jeff Yoward and Chris Stocks

Elliott, who joined Sheppee in 1996 after a work placement while at university, said: 'We are the world leaders in what we do and staying there is not easy. It's hard work but we have a good team here to do that.

'We have to keep an eye on our competitors but above all we constantly listen and learn from what our customers want and expect. It's that information which keeps pushing the company forward. My new role is to build on that. '

Chris joins from Rexam Glass in Barnsley. He said: 'I have known of Sheppee International for more than 10 years and know the company is well respected within the industry. I joined the company after working with it on a major project and really liked its professionalism and attitude to team work.

'I'm a multi-skilled engineer and I'm relishing the chance to be more flexible and help Sheppee International to even greater success.'

Managing director Jeff Yoward said: 'Recruiting top quality staff within this industry is becoming increasingly difficult but with these two appointments I know we have hired the best.

'I'm delighted for them, especially for Elliott as we like to recognise and reward people who work hard. We are growing as a company and I'm confident we can go forwards to greater success.'

Haran Glass Appoints Leading Expert as Technical Director

Structural glass specialist Haran Glass has announced the appointment of Antony Smith as technical director.

Recognised as one of the world's foremost experts in glass design, Antony joins the company from Arup Façade Engineering where over the last 10 years he has been involved in a wide range of innovative projects.

Working in the UK, Europe and the USA on the detailed design and engineering of a variety of glass sculptures and structures, Antony's portfolio includes the design and specification of the National Police Memorial in London, the Borealis glass sculpture for the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit, a structural glass staircase in the National Bank of Denmark and a 100m2 structural glass roof in the Four Seasons Hotel in Budapest.

His appointment will further extend Haran Glass' capabilities in structural glass projects enabling the company to provide a full design consultancy and installation service. He will be based primarily at the firm's London operation.

Duncan McLean, managing director of Haran Glass, said:
‘We are delighted to have secured someone with Antony's expertise and experience. His extensive knowledge of the glass sector and his excellent track record across a portfolio of prestigious and unique projects ensures that he will perfectly complement our existing team.

‘In addition to the technical acumen he will bring to the operation, he can also offer a flair for problem solving and a practiced eye for innovative design. His appointment will add a new dimension to our service offering to clients, providing unique solutions for them and ensuring that we further enhance our ability to be reactive to their needs.’

Commenting on his appointment Antony said:
‘I'm relishing the opportunities which my new role at Haran Glass offers. The company already has a worldwide reputation for excellence as well as a terrific track record of involvement in high quality, prestigious projects and I'm looking forward to the challenge of further enhancing our profile in the global marketplace.’

http://www.haranglass.com/about.htm

CGI Promotes Export Drive

CGI International is looking to boost sales of its fire glass range in Continental Europe with the recruitment of Chris Wise as European Sales Manager. Chris will be responsible for appointing and managing local importers and distributors throughout the region, with particular emphasis on the burgeoning German market. His role will also include providing technical support and in developing a marketing strategy across Europe.

A keen traveller and linguist, Chris has a proven track record in international sales and marketing. His career to date includes managing an international distributor base for Hammerite Products, part of ICI plc, resulting in sales growth in both the consumer and professional sectors.

In addition to promoting sales of CGI fire glass in the major European territories, Chris is also planning to identify commercial opportunities within the new EU member states, including Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary.

Commenting on his new appointment, Chris says: ‘The export market represents an excellent opportunity to drive business growth for our fire glass products, particularly as pan-European legislation in the field of fire safety becomes more widely enforced. No doubt this will generate increased demand for even higher performance and more sophisticated fire glass products. As a leading manufacturer and supplier of specialist glasses, particularly fire resisting products such as our Pyroguard range, I believe CGI is ideally placed to meet these demands.’

Tel: 020 7960 6060
Web: http://www.cgii.co.uk

Everwhite’s new Chief Accountant, David Frazer

The management team at Everwhite Plastics Ltd has been further strengthened by the new appointment of David Frazer, Plastic Building Material’s ex-Finance Director.

‘I am impressed by Everwhite, it’s a progressive company that continues to expand,’ says David.

‘That’s why I was pleased to take this position. The expansion has been guided by a strong management team over the last two years.

'My role is to build on those solid foundations by putting in the right systems and procedures to ensure continued growth.’

Tel: 01685 882 447

New Technical Officer

The Glass Qualifications Authority Ltd (GQA) has appointed Mick Clayton to the new fulltime position of Technical Officer based at its headquarters in Sheffield.

Mick will help GQA to move into the era of e-learning and e-assessment and will be involved with the identification and derivation of the next generation of glass related national qualifications. He has worked in the glass sector for over seventeen years and has been actively involved in the implementation of GQA National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).

GQA has experienced significant growth in the implementation of its NVQ and SVQ qualifications throughout the UK since it became an independent limited company in January 2002.

Implementation of GQA qualifications has tripled and Mick will utilise his glass sector experience to support the next phase of GQA development including identifying potential new centres for approval in outreach areas or geographic regions that need more centre support.

Tel: 0114 272 0033
Email: mailto:info@gqaqualifications.com
Web: http://www.glassqualificationsauthority.com


People and Careers October 2005
Click HERE for the People Page Archive section Fiona Lund Appointed Director & General Manager of Michael Rigby Associates Marketing agency, Michael Rigby Associates has promoted Fiona Lund from Business Development Director to the position of Director and General Manager. Fiona has been with the company for eight years. ‘We had been growing fast,’ says Managing Director Mike Rigby, ‘but since winning ‘Agency of the Year’ in The Construction Marketing Awards in 2004 for the proactive trade and consumer PR we do, our business has accelerated. More companies have seen what we achieve for our customers and wanted us to help them grow faster and more profitably too. And Fiona has played a big part in helping customers achieve these dramatic results. We describe what we do as PR Plus, but most of our customers would say it goes well beyond PR to include marketing strategy and general marketing. ‘The creation of this new role will ensure that we continue to fulfil our promise to existing and to new customers in the construction, home improvement and DIY markets. I will be working closely with Fiona and the team to make sure we do just that.’ Tel: 01453 521621 Email: mailto:fiona@521621.com JoTika Software Appoints Technical Director Glass processing software development company, JoTiKa Software, has strengthened its management team by appointing Phil Turner as Technical Director. Phil is a specialist in leading edge software development for major companies, with extensive expertise in handheld computers, Real-time & PLC based machine control systems, and web based network solutions. Phil takes over from John Gold the task of managing the JoTiKa software development team, leaving John with more time to concentrate on developing new markets, both in the UK and overseas. Web: http://www.jotika.com WFM Cardiff Gets a New Branch Manager Dexter Roberts took over as Branch Manager of Window Fitters Mate (WFM) Cardiff earlier this year and has already made quite an impact. Dexter has been in the windows and building trade for most of his life, and his considerable experience has ensured the continued growth of WFM Cardiff in what some have described as very difficult trading conditions. When asked how he has been dealing with the competition Dexter said: ‘Service and choice have been the mainstay of our success. Unlike most other window trade counters we offer a one-stop-shop and can supply anything a fitter wants - from the latest hi-spec windows through to screws and mastic. For example, as well as free use of the branch skip (which I hasten to add is extremely popular), one of the services we now offer is free glass cleaner and free silicon for orders over £50. Also, once a month, we hold a breakfast meeting whereby our customers can come in and have a cup of tea and a bacon butty. It gives them an opportunity to let us know what they want from their trade counter. ‘It is these small, but important and personal, touches that help build a real rapport with our customers and means we rapidly establish great working relationships with them.’ This approach, coupled with its location just off the busy Rover Way in the Tremorfa Industrial Estate, has meant the branch continues to go from strength to strength - especially its conservatory business, which has seen much growth in the last six months. WFM says that it operates the largest branch network of its kind in the UK, offering a professional local service with the back-up and purchasing power of a national operation. It provides a one-stop shop for window, door and conservatory products and roofing systems from leading manufacturers, together with all the necessary ancillaries to complete an installation. New Faces at Avocet Two key new appointments have recently been made at Avocet Hardware to continue the smooth and cost efficient operation of the company. Gary Bennett has taken up his role as Head of Supply Chain, while Chris Mallin brings over 15 years of experience to his new position as Head of IT. Gary is used to dealing with multi million pound stock budgets, having spent the past 15 years as Supply Chain Manager at Focus DIY. His new job responsibilities include developing and increasing Avocet's Supply Chain team; improving processes while continuing to forge stronger relationships with all supply partners in the Far East, India and Europe. Gary's experiences stand him in good stead at Avocet and will enable him to contribute greatly to the company’s overall strategy. Chris also brings with him a wealth of expertise spending the last eight years with Unilever; where he held a number of challenging IT leadership roles and more recently was Head of the Architecture and Technology Group. His challenge at Avocet is to build a team with the necessary skills and competencies to ensure that the company's technology and information resources develop to stay ahead of a demanding business plan for growth. ‘We are delighted to welcome both Gary and Chris to the team,’ comments Chris Morris, Managing Director of Avocet. ‘One of our business objectives is to improve the effectiveness of the manufacturing and supply chain operations, paying particular attention to the supply chain and the logistical aspects. The appointment of these two key members of staff is an integral procedure in the future productivity of Avocet.’ Both view their roles as a welcome challenge and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial association with Avocet. Caption: Christopher Mallin new Head of IT and Gary Bennett Avocet's new Supply Chain Manager. New Manager for Total Glass Commercial Total Glass Commercial has strengthened its management team with the appointment of John Williams as Commercial Manager to head up its new division dedicated to the local authority and social housing sector. John brings a wealth of experience to his role, having worked in all aspects of the industry's trade and commercial markets for over 27 years. His responsibilities include overseeing and further developing Total Glass Commercial's on-going success in the public sector where the company has long-standing and established partnerships with a number of leading housing trusts and social housing providers. 'This is an exciting time for TGC and I am looking forward to helping drive future growth as the company moves forward within this very dynamic sector,' comments John. With a 100,000 sq ft factory fully equipped with state-of-the-art production facilities, plus a highly-trained and skilled workforce, TGC is well placed to meet the exacting demands of the public sector supplying quality Part L compliant windows and composite doors to Best Value criteria. Tel: 0151 549 3145 Web: http://www.tgcommercial.com Aztec Develops its ‘Dream Team’ Additional recruitment and restructuring is giving customers of Aztec Conservatory Roof Systems what the company bills as ‘a dream team’ for technical and sales support. The independent conservatory roof systems company, Aztec, has enlisted the resources of Duncan Bennett as design and development manager to work alongside Gordon Cooke and Rob Small. Aztec Conservatory Roof Systems' new technical and sales support team(l-r) Rob Small, John Sales and Duncan Bennett John Sales, Aztec technical director, comments, ‘Duncan has within days of arriving proved himself to be a huge asset to us and our customers. I believe we now have a 'dream team' for customers with Duncan complementing our established technical force of Gordon Cooke and Rob Small. The team has gelled and is working excellently together, and with our customers, who in turn are increasingly commenting on the approachability of Aztec and its personnel, and our ability to understand any issues and help resolve them quickly and efficiently.’ Aged 37, Duncan has worked in the window and conservatory industry for 21 years, from hands-on roles on the shopfloor to management level. With a high commitment to the industry Duncan has extensive experience at designing and implementing new products and systems. He has a vast knowledge and insight of the industry and is adept at conceiving and developing new concepts that facilitate the window and conservatory industry. Email: mailto:contact@aztecsystems.co.uk New Appointments at Sheppee Sheppee International Ltd based at Elvington near York has announced two appointments to strengthen its management team. Elliott Seymour steps up from being Works Manager to become Operations Director and Chris Stocks has been recruited to become Customer Support Engineer. Sheppee International Ltd is a manufacturer of production line equipment for the glass industry with over 75 per cent of its production going overseas. Sheppee says that its products are widely acknowledged to be at the cutting edge of technology so customers from around the globe regularly seek advice from the firm for their manufacturing problems. (l to r): Elliott Seymour, Jeff Yoward and Chris Stocks Elliott, who joined Sheppee in 1996 after a work placement while at university, said: 'We are the world leaders in what we do and staying there is not easy. It's hard work but we have a good team here to do that. 'We have to keep an eye on our competitors but above all we constantly listen and learn from what our customers want and expect. It's that information which keeps pushing the company forward. My new role is to build on that. ' Chris joins from Rexam Glass in Barnsley. He said: 'I have known of Sheppee International for more than 10 years and know the company is well respected within the industry. I joined the company after working with it on a major project and really liked its professionalism and attitude to team work. 'I'm a multi-skilled engineer and I'm relishing the chance to be more flexible and help Sheppee International to even greater success.' Managing director Jeff Yoward said: 'Recruiting top quality staff within this industry is becoming increasingly difficult but with these two appointments I know we have hired the best. 'I'm delighted for them, especially for Elliott as we like to recognise and reward people who work hard. We are growing as a company and I'm confident we can go forwards to greater success.' Haran Glass Appoints Leading Expert as Technical Director Structural glass specialist Haran Glass has announced the appointment of Antony Smith as technical director. Recognised as one of the world's foremost experts in glass design, Antony joins the company from Arup Façade Engineering where over the last 10 years he has been involved in a wide range of innovative projects. Working in the UK, Europe and the USA on the detailed design and engineering of a variety of glass sculptures and structures, Antony's portfolio includes the design and specification of the National Police Memorial in London, the Borealis glass sculpture for the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit, a structural glass staircase in the National Bank of Denmark and a 100m2 structural glass roof in the Four Seasons Hotel in Budapest. His appointment will further extend Haran Glass' capabilities in structural glass projects enabling the company to provide a full design consultancy and installation service. He will be based primarily at the firm's London operation. Duncan McLean, managing director of Haran Glass, said: ‘We are delighted to have secured someone with Antony's expertise and experience. His extensive knowledge of the glass sector and his excellent track record across a portfolio of prestigious and unique projects ensures that he will perfectly complement our existing team. ‘In addition to the technical acumen he will bring to the operation, he can also offer a flair for problem solving and a practiced eye for innovative design. His appointment will add a new dimension to our service offering to clients, providing unique solutions for them and ensuring that we further enhance our ability to be reactive to their needs.’ Commenting on his appointment Antony said: ‘I'm relishing the opportunities which my new role at Haran Glass offers. The company already has a worldwide reputation for excellence as well as a terrific track record of involvement in high quality, prestigious projects and I'm looking forward to the challenge of further enhancing our profile in the global marketplace.’ http://www.haranglass.com/about.htm CGI Promotes Export Drive CGI International is looking to boost sales of its fire glass range in Continental Europe with the recruitment of Chris Wise as European Sales Manager. Chris will be responsible for appointing and managing local importers and distributors throughout the region, with particular emphasis on the burgeoning German market. His role will also include providing technical support and in developing a marketing strategy across Europe. A keen traveller and linguist, Chris has a proven track record in international sales and marketing. His career to date includes managing an international distributor base for Hammerite Products, part of ICI plc, resulting in sales growth in both the consumer and professional sectors. In addition to promoting sales of CGI fire glass in the major European territories, Chris is also planning to identify commercial opportunities within the new EU member states, including Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary. Commenting on his new appointment, Chris says: ‘The export market represents an excellent opportunity to drive business growth for our fire glass products, particularly as pan-European legislation in the field of fire safety becomes more widely enforced. No doubt this will generate increased demand for even higher performance and more sophisticated fire glass products. As a leading manufacturer and supplier of specialist glasses, particularly fire resisting products such as our Pyroguard range, I believe CGI is ideally placed to meet these demands.’ Tel: 020 7960 6060 Web: http://www.cgii.co.uk Everwhite’s new Chief Accountant, David Frazer The management team at Everwhite Plastics Ltd has been further strengthened by the new appointment of David Frazer, Plastic Building Material’s ex-Finance Director. ‘I am impressed by Everwhite, it’s a progressive company that continues to expand,’ says David. ‘That’s why I was pleased to take this position. The expansion has been guided by a strong management team over the last two years. 'My role is to build on those solid foundations by putting in the right systems and procedures to ensure continued growth.’ Tel: 01685 882 447 New Technical Officer The Glass Qualifications Authority Ltd (GQA) has appointed Mick Clayton to the new fulltime position of Technical Officer based at its headquarters in Sheffield. Mick will help GQA to move into the era of e-learning and e-assessment and will be involved with the identification and derivation of the next generation of glass related national qualifications. He has worked in the glass sector for over seventeen years and has been actively involved in the implementation of GQA National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). GQA has experienced significant growth in the implementation of its NVQ and SVQ qualifications throughout the UK since it became an independent limited company in January 2002. Implementation of GQA qualifications has tripled and Mick will utilise his glass sector experience to support the next phase of GQA development including identifying potential new centres for approval in outreach areas or geographic regions that need more centre support. Tel: 0114 272 0033 Email: mailto:info@gqaqualifications.com Web: http://www.glassqualificationsauthority.com GO TO PEOPLE ARCHIVE PAGE RETURN TO HOME PAGE