FALCON CONTRACT FLOORING
GROUNDED IN GROWTH
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FALCON CONTRACT FLOORING
I PROFILE
Falcon Contract Flooring, a company with over a three decades of experience in the flooring industry, has found a successful strategy that has led to consistent growth. The company’s progress was discussed with Managing Director Elliot Garbett and Head of Compliance Stacey Hassall in a conversation with Imogen Ward.
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alcon Contract Flooring is on
F
Navigating through adversity
track for another year of expansion,
In 2020, Falcon Contract Flooring faced
a success it attributes to a dedi-
an unexpected challenge when the pan-
cated, hardworking and versatile team.
demic led to the abrupt closure of its main
“Our growth has been entirely organic,
market. This resulted in a significant drop
often driven by word-of-mouth,”
in the company’s sales, prompting
Managing Director Elliot Garbett stated.
a reassessment of its future strategy.
“We don’t have a sales team because
“We are a proactive team,” said Mr
our staff effectively promote their work,
Garbett. “We observed the pandemic’s
and the real driver of our growth is down
impact in the February of 2020 and
to them. Their passion for their work truly
could see that other countries were really
makes a difference.”
suffering and knew we had to prepare for
Falcon was founded in 1985 by two
its arrival in our market. We prioritised
visionaries and was later acquired by
maintaining liquidity in anticipation of this
the Hassall family in 2003. The company,
eventuality, which indeed came to pass.
known for its excellence in the hospitality sector, provides a range of fast and reliable services, including carpet, vinyl, wood and resin flooring solutions.
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FALCON CONTRACT FLOORING
I PROFILE
At that juncture, we chose to reinvest in
corridor for a single client. Given the
our digital strategy, a decision that has
substantial volume of work involved in
proven to be highly beneficial for us.”
removing old carpets, a material notoriously
Stacey Hassall, the Head of Compliance,
hard to recycle, Falcon is exploring ways
added: “This enabled us to accelerate our
to enhance its sustainability practices.
growth. Investing heavily in our systems with zero revenue was a risk, but one we
Embracing sustainability
were confident would yield returns.”
Falcon Contract Flooring’s commitment
Before the pandemic, the company’s
to delivering exceptional service is deeply
annual revenue was around £7 million.
intertwined with its dedication to sustain-
However, with the implementation of the
ability. The company, which holds an ISO
new digital systems, this figure has more
14001 certification, uses this as a foundation
than doubled, underscoring the pivotal
for all its operations.
role of technology. This strategic invest-
One of the significant environmental
ment, coupled with the team’s dedication,
challenges in the flooring industry is waste
enabled Falcon to weather the storm and
management. Used carpets, which are
has fuelled its expansion ever since. With
typically non-recyclable, often end
a growth plan in place, the company looks
up in landfills. However, Falcon has been
forward to continuing this trajectory.
striving to close this waste loop. To tackle this industry-wide issue, the company has
Growth and Diversification
joined forces with Innovate Recycle, the UK’s
While ceramics is not currently part
pioneer in recycling post-consumer carpets.
of Falcon’s offerings, an increased demand
“We discovered Innovate Recycle –
has piqued the company’s interest in this
through our affiliation with the Carpet
area. “Ceramics is the only type of flooring
Flooring Association, and it has been
we don’t currently handle,” Mr Garbett
a game-changer because recycling
explained. “But we foresee this changing as
carpet is a complex process,” said
part of our comprehensive growth strategy.”
Ms Hassall. “We have been collaborating
Currently, the demand for ceramics is
extensively with blue-chip companies
confined will small areas, but Falcon antic-
to effect positive change in the industry.”
ipates this to grow. As it does, the company
In a bid to further this impact and create
plans to equip its team with the necessary
a lasting difference, Falcon has been in
skills to ensure it continues to cater to its
talks with a major hotel chain to promote
customers’ evolving needs.
the use of carpets made from more
Falcon is renowned for its proficiency in fast-track refurbishments, consistently
sustainable materials. These discussions have been progressing well.
outperforming in this domain. For 2023, the
“It’s a significant work-in-progress,”
company is set to complete approximately
Ms Hassall added. “While I don’t foresee
20,000 rooms and 120,000 metres of
it being accomplished by the end of this
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FALCON CONTRACT FLOORING
I PROFILE
year, the process has begun. It’s not as
status through several strategic partner-
simple as just switching materials; there
ships.” The company believes its strategy
are cost implications, and we initially
in this area will provide a solid foundation
thought the client might not agree.
and career for the under privileged
However, their willingness to comply
and ex-offenders.
indicates that companies are recognising the importance of such improvements.”
Currently, Falcon has four apprentices, all of whom are pursuing an NVQ or equivalent qualification. Encouraged by
Paving the way forward
the success of these apprenticeships, the
Despite a packed agenda, Falcon
company is eager to further develop this
Contract Flooring is not resting on its
program. Talks are underway between
laurels. The company has been moti-
Falcon and a Birmingham academy
vated to nurture the next generation
to introduce weekly work experience
of flooring professionals due to an
days, which could potentially lead to
industry-wide dearth of newcomers.
full apprenticeships.
“We observed a significant shortage
“This presents a fantastic opportunity
of fresh talent entering the field,” Mr
for us to significantly enhance our
Garbett noted. “For every seven individ-
apprenticeship program,” Ms Hassell
uals retiring in the construction industry,
explained. “Collaborating with this
only two were joining the trades.”
academy increases our chances of
Ms Hassall added: “We aimed to
achieving national recognition for our
establish an apprenticeship program
apprenticeship scheme. This would be
that would not only train young individ-
a remarkable achievement as it would
uals to our high standards but also instil
significantly boost our brand visibility.”
our corporate values in them. Although
The partnership with the academy
our scheme is not yet government-recog-
is slated to commence in 2024 and is
nised, we are striving to achieve this
expected to last for two years before
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Falcon starts working towards becoming a nationally recognised scheme. Looking ahead, Falcon plans to persist on its growth trajectory, having successfully achieved a 30% increase in sales growth year-on-year and recognised as the 45th fastest growing business in the midlands and East of England. The immediate focus will be on strengthening its presence within the UK, with plans to gradually expand globally, starting with markets in the USA, Germany and the Middle East. “We’ve had considerable success in expanding the business, but we’re not content yet,” Mr Garbett concluded. “This is merely the beginning of our journey. Our goal is to become the country’s leading supplier and best installer of flooring, and we’re committed to achieving this in a forwardthinking manner that upholds our family-oriented ethos and preserves the positive culture we’ve cultivated here.” n Inside sustainability 265