Business strategy for an FMCG national sales and distribution company. The business-critical feature of this business was IT. The business depended on effective hardware and software. The first link in the chain was 30 salesmen using live-linked PDA’s. They made 10 sales calls per day, in each they checked their customers stock and using this information they instantly transmitted the customer’s order. That transmission was received at one of 4 regional distribution centres. Pickers would then collate the goods and sort delivery runs for 30 custom fitted delivery vehicles to supply to the customers the next day. Had multi-million-pound contracts with Spar, Tesco, Londis, Budgens and Sainsbury’s. Improved sales margin by 7%, reduced overheads by £638k and shed unprofitable sales of £3m.
American Express: FMCG sales training courses for the “Take One” sales force, including their European sales conference.
Hays PLC: international recruiter, management development training (60 managers).
An exhaustive business audit of the £80m turnover group, Allied Textiles PLC. They had 12 subsidiaries, including Halbmond - a woven carpet manufacturer in Germany and Tapibel a tufter in Belgium. They also had operating companies in a diverse range of fabric sectors; spinners, dyers, processors and finishers of most kinds in the UK; Wm Reed, Coating Applications, Mayfield spinning (a supplier of airbag yarns to Milliken), JB Broadley (supplier to Burberry and MOD).
Six month project closing a £43M, 800 employee, 3 site manufacturer of TV stands who were suppliers to Panasonic in Wales.
Negotiated a new contract with Royal Sun Alliance for £28mpa worth of policy holder carpet replacement.
Created the Gaskell carpet tile division, turnover was £2M initially. The division was sold 8 years later by the PLC for £18M.
Developed a strategy to sell different types of contract products and supplying international hotel chains, corporations and working through the A&D community. Offer included standard in-stock items and increasing levels of custom manufacturing at premium pricing when required.
Increased prices and margin using premium pricing based on marketing and branding.
Discontinued and replaced many product ranges into existing channels whilst opening up new channels which were related and exploitable.
Created export sales platforms; one company won the Queen’s Award for Export and another could .
Business strategy for manufactured contract upholstery fabrics for the contract furniture market. Customers included Steelcase, Herman Miller, Knoll, Boss, Senator, Morgan, Linden, Artifort and Swedese.
Costing model reviewed and the pricing policy altered to create more margin. New discount scheme introduced. Annual rebate schemes and thresholds.
New business strategy for a spring water bottler with 2m litres per annum. They supplied the major multiples, wholesale and retail sectors.
Business review of international importer of goods from China supplying the UK major multiples (Tesco and Sainsbury’s), symbol groups, wholesale, convenience and retail chains. Export business mostly in the Middle East. Developed an integrative logistics plan and created a new volume market product strategy.