2023: THE YEAR SO FAR

Dan Powell, Head of Brand at VBH, has issued an update on how the year is developing for the hardware manufacturer. This is what Dan has to say:

“2022 was always going to be a tough act to follow. Having had such a successful year, our bar was set high for 2023.

We are very happy to advise that at the time of writing in June, everything is going according to plan.

Market and Customers Health Update

In terms of the top line, sales, we are meeting our increased targets. Business is tougher than it was for all of us a couple of years ago, but we have been very successful in seeking out additional sales to new and existing customers. From our perspective, the section of the market that we deal with remains in good health, despite the spectre of a downturn hanging over us all.

New Appointments to Strengthen Departments

We have made changes to our processes and made new appointments to help secure this new business and to ensure that we continue to offer our customers the top-level customer service that they all expect.

We have reduced the responsibilities of the Customer Service team to give them more time to process their customers’ orders and deal with incoming queries quickly and efficiently. We have done this by strengthening our internal sales department with the addition of Gareth Dix, who moved internally from a field sales role. This takes away the ‘sales’ function’ from Customer Services. We also encourage customers to use our VBH24 online shop. Orders received through VBH24 need minimal handling by our team, so hit the warehouse almost immediately.

We have further strengthened both our Technical and Marketing teams with the additions of Callum Norris and Ben Shephard. These new appointments allow us to provide even better pre and after-sale support to our customers. In April, we bolstered our external sales team with the recruitment of Nick Taylor in the role of Regional Manager for the midlands. Nick is vastly experienced, and is very customer focused.

New Product Development

We have added a number of new products in the first half of 2023 to keep our customers at the forefront of hardware development. Our new greenteQ Velocity door hinge is superquick to fit and is tested to PAS24. This is the perfect hinge to fit on the opposite side of the door to our new greenteQ Q-Bolt door lock, which is also PAS24 tested and boasts the biggest hooks on the market.

The enthusiasm with which the market has greeted the greenteQ iQ range of window and door locks has surprised even us! These locks can be linked to a smart home network via a Kubu home hub. The user can then set up various alerts including checks on the open/ closed/locked/vent status of their windows and doors, or even create weather and pollen level alerts. They can link to other items in the network, too. So for example, they could set the heating so that it switches off if a window is opened. There are many more benefits and our customers have been quick to see them. Perhaps this open-minded approach to new product innovation and services is one of the reasons why VBH customers continue to prosper in an uncertain market.

On Time in Full Delivery Performance

Our purchasing team continues to work hard to ensure that stock is available for our customers when they want it. We have just recorded our highest On Time In Full delivery figure of 98.89% for May.

National Fenestration Awards

Once again, we are grateful that we have received enough nominations from our friends in the industry to have reached the final short lists in a number of categories at the prestigious National Fenestration Awards.

We are hoping to be voted Best Hardware Company for the fourth time in five years, and have also made the cut in the following categories:

• Best Hardware Company

• Best Door Component (greenteQ Orion 3 star cylinder)

• Best Window Component (greenteQ iQ Security Lock that works with Kubu)

• Best New Product (greenteQ Clearslide patio door locking system)

• Best use of Video

• Best Trade Counter (VBH Swansea)

• Best Digital Marketing Campaign (Q-Smart electronic handle with fingerprint recognition)

• Best Office Manager (Pamela Paterson at VBH East Kilbride)

• Social Networker (Hayley Martin from Marketing)

• Young Person (Aidan Lynch from our New product Design team)

• Business Development Manager (Jan Holland or Earl Tate)

• Best Director/MD (Simon Monks)

Of course, we are keen to receive as many votes as possible, to ensure that the members of our team who make the trip to the winners’ event in October will have a happy journey home.

You can vote here https://www. fenestrationawards.co.uk/vote/

Right People, Right Customers, Right Products

To sum up 2023 so far, a combination of gaining new business with the right customers, continued product innovation, getting the right people into the right positions, excellent stock availability and a continued focus on industryleading customer service, are making it another great year for VBH.

Thank you to all our customers and partners, and long may it continue.”

To contact VBH, call them on 01634 263263, email at sales@vbhgb.com, or send them a Tweet @vbhgb.