In this article we meet Stuart Shaw and get a brief insight into his role as National Field Sales Manager for Hörmann UK covering both the domestic and industrial markets.
How long have you been with Hörmann?
I joined Hörmann in 2004 so I am just coming up to my 19th anniversary. I was initially employed as an Area Sales Manager and promoted into my current role 4 years ago. Before that I worked for McArthur who were a Hörmann customer, where I was an Area Sales Manager covering the North-east.
I have always worked in the construction market and literally started sweeping a warehouse floor at the age of sixteen. I’ve worked my way up from there in a variety of different roles – running a trade counter, internal sales roles and then moving out onto the road.
What is your job at Hörmann?
I am the National Field Sales Manager with responsibility for both the industrial and domestic sales teams. In all of my previous roles the emphasis has been on the domestic market, but my present role has also opened up the industrial side of the business. Moving forward I see this as a key market for Hörmann with lots of opportunity to grow the business. The addition of Fen-Bay and Transdek to the Hörmann Group, two well-known and respected brands, provides us with an exciting opportunity to strengthen our offering to the market.
What training was required?
Most of the training I have received since joining Hörmann has been product based and provided by our in-house specialists. Hörmann have a truly extensive range of products when you consider both the domestic and industrial sides of the business, so this is ongoing as new and updated products are constantly being added.
I have also been lucky to have travelled extensively around our manufacturing plants in Europe, there is nothing quite like seeing product actually coming off the production line and being able to talk to the product experts who have overseen the design, development, and manufacture of the product.
What does a normal day look like?
Varied to say the least. There are the normal admin duties to keep up to date – it never ceases to amaze me just how many emails I receive and send each day. Then it is really a case of staying connected with both the sales teams and our customer base.
I am particularly keen to expand my knowledge of the industrial market and ensuring that we continue our expansion in this area, so meeting with key developers, clients and contractors is becoming a larger part of my role.
What are the best and most challenging parts of the job?
The best parts are when we win business – as a salesperson I don’t think I’m unusual in that! I take great pride in my teams’ success, sometimes I don’t think that they realise how good they really are.
The most challenging aspects are usually things that are out of our control – particularly over the past few years with global material shortages and supply chain issues. However, being honest with customers and clients really is the best policy and vital for long term relationships, you have to be able to say when you cannot reach a customer’s expectations or when there are things you just can’t do. Being able to deal with the frustration that this causes is an industry wide issue.
I have also had the opportunity to hone my acting skills in a couple of company promotional videos, it’s hard to say whether this was a ‘best’ or ‘challenging’ aspect of my job – I think I’ll let others be the judge of that!
Have you worked on any interesting projects?
I have an oversight on most of the projects that we work on. This is vast – from a single domestic garage door to multiple loading bays and doors for big sheds. They say that variety is the spice of life and that is certainly true at Hörmann.
What have been your proudest moments at Hörmann?
It was important for me when I initially joined Hörmann. I had been a customer in my previous job so to join a company that I had admired for so long was great. Moving into my present role was also an achievement and I have been lucky in having the backing of Wolfgang Gorner our MD who constantly provides advice and support whenever it is needed.
How do you unwind after a busy day at Hörmann?
I like to cook, so if I get home before my wife, I will normally get the evening meal started. My other main relaxation after a hard day on the road is watching TV, I particularly like to chill out with the Simpsons – a good laugh always helps me put the day away.
For further information on Hörmann UK call 01530 516868 or visit www.hormann.co.uk
Comments are closed.