COMPANY PROFILE WESTIN

FAMILY VALUES UNDERPIN WESTIN'S RISE TO THE TOP

Who would ever have thought that from brassware for fireplaces, high performance cooker hoods could evolve? WS Westin Ltd was founded almost one century ago as a decorative metal and chimney manufacturer and progressed beyond compare to where it is now: a leader in domestic kitchen extraction.

Today, Westin is known as a pre-eminent cooker hood specialist, designing bespoke extraction solutions for stylish homes across the United Kingdom, loved by designers and installers for its ‘white glove’ service and ‘can do’ attitude.

Back in 1921, copper chimneys and brassware were the name of the game but when the Westin family wanted to sell its business some 18 years ago and the current chairman inspected the factory prior to purchase, he spotted a cooker hood on one of the work benches and when he enquired why it was there was told “It has been ordered for sale by Harrods.” This directly resulted in Westin being born as a cooker hood manufacturer that has since evolved into the specialist it is today.

The early Westin was founded by two brothers, Walter and Stanley and was operated from Phoenix Mills, in the heartland of manufacturing and textile mills around Huddersfield, Yorkshire. In 2017, Westin still runs its head office out of its original mills, though of course, it has been modernised and expanded upon through substantial investment in both, including the introduction of modern machinery to meet the growth of the business.

The company has grown but Westin’s ethos remains true to its roots. A good example is Westin’s David Broadbent who joined as a tea boy running errands; remarkably, David is still with Westin after almost 50 years, and is now highly respected in his position of Technical Sales Manager, he brings to the business an unrivalled knowledge of cooker hoods and extraction. The overall loyalty to the company of its 40 staff tells another story as many have been with the firm for much of their working life; such is their love of both the product and the philosophy of the company.

Ian Sheppard, Westin’s Managing Director says, “We have a happy family here at Westin, and I think this is created by the fact that we prefer to develop our team and keep our talent here! This means that our team has an incredible knowledge of every aspect of cooker hoods.” Ian continued, “It means also that we know our customers really well and can give the 

“We have a happy family here at Westin, and

I think this is created by the fact that we prefer to develop our team and keep our talent here! This means that our team has an incredible knowledge of every aspect of cooker hoods.”

Ian Sheppard, Westin’s Managing Director

Westin Bespoke hood for Kitchen Solutions

best possible service at every stage. We like to keep our service personal where possible so when customers and installers call us, many are recognised by name, rather than an account number, and whatever question they have, our priority is to give them the correct information and advice in a friendly way, so that every Westin cooker hood is suited for the kitchen environment its being purchased for.”

These days, Westin’s cooker hoods sit in kitchens across the land, as well as in the homes of many celebrities, and are even installed in (whisper it) some royal castles. Westin’s reputation for hoods that perform superbly and look stunning has spread, and many UK kitchen designers will only specify cooker hoods by Westin for their clients.’

Westin’s flexible wide-ranging customer service includes Westin Product, Westin Plus and Westin Bespoke. This means the company can offer a full range of cooker hoods with a wide variety of models and options to suit every kitchen. The Westin Product range includes the most popular hoods with defined specifications and options. These products can be adapted using the Westin Plus service where customers can specify different colours, dimensions, light options and size of internal workings to suit their kitchen. And when customers require more than

modification of a product, then the Westin Bespoke consultation service is the best option. This allows customers to design their own completely individual cooker hood in terms of either performance, aesthetics or both.

Final word goes to Westin Managing Director, Ian Sheppard who says, “Providing excellent customer service is a non-negotiable Westin promise and the feedback that we receive from installers and retailers indicates that this is one of the main reasons why we generate such strong customer loyalty.” He added, “It’s imperative that we provide an enjoyable, satisfying and hassle-free customer experience, and the entire team is therefore geared towards giving practical, tailored advice, by offering help that can be as complicated as allowing for the direction and height of ceiling joists, ducting lengths, or for something as straight-forward as how best to clean filters.”

Westin and its customers can look back and appreciate its very fine history and heritage, the company’s approach to cooker hoods is entirely modern, customer driven and forward thinking, to provide fresh air in any kitchen.

www.westin.co.uk

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