LEADERSHIP
S T R AT E G Y I N T E R V I E W
Exertis Supplies: simplicity is the key to brilliance ANDREW BEAUMONT, MD, Exertis Supplies, on why he believes the businesses model of keeping things simple is the key to their success
How would you summarise last year for Exertis
Supplies in terms of biggest achievement, biggest challenge and biggest lesson learnt?
We’ve had several really positive years since we entered the office
Products industry because of what he brought to the business. We are a people business, so to lose somebody like Tim - who was so wellliked by every single person he interacted with - really hit us hard. I had to give the business the time to grieve, and people do that
products sector in wholesale. Last year, as every year, the achievement
in different ways. We had to make sure people knew they could
is the ability to support more and more of the independent office
laugh, they could cry, and handle it however they needed to handle
dealers in the UK; we’re only successful if that independent office
it, because that was more important right then, than what we were
channel is successful as we don’t have another route to market. So, the
doing as a business. Even today we are still recovering from it but
fact that more and more have come to us, and increased their spend
we’re using his memory, and using his vision, to move us forward.
with us, shows we’re doing something right.
I have a picture of him on my wall, and I often smile at him about
The biggest negative by far was the loss of Tim, our commercial
some of the things that happen during the day.
director. He helped to start the office products part of the business
Then, in terms of biggest lessons, ours is to keep listening to our
eight years ago and we’re talking today about our part in the Office
customers and the dealers; listen to their hopes and their fears - not
[20] APRIL 2023
www.dealersupport.co.uk