Tiles UK, one of the most successful and respected tile distributors in the country, is set to accelerate its drive into the specification market with a range of new initiatives designed to secure continued growth.
Following the creation at the end of 2018 of the company’s new Contracts & House Developer Division – ProSpec, headed up by new appointee Ian Crowther, Tiles UK has wasted no time in putting in place new developments which will enhance the company’s offer to the specification market.
Firstly the company has strengthened its sales force with the appointment of Paul Acton to the new position of Regional Sales Manager North West. He is a veteran of the company, having worked for Tiles UK for 17 years as head of IT. His new responsibility will be to service key clients, who include retail, contract and fixer customers, while also keeping on his IT role.
Meanwhile Ian Crowther’s remit is widened to Group Sales Director, in addition to being MD of ProSpec Tiles. His drive and focus will continue to steer the future direction of the business.
An important achievement of Tiles UK since Ian Crowther joined has been its push into commercial specification, which has led to very significant success with major new projects and new clients. To provide focus for this growing area of the business, the company has developed a new Architectural Resource Centre (ARC) in Salford.
Tiles UK has chosen the area near MediaCityUK to locate the ARC, as this has now become an international hub for technology, innovation and creativity, as well as being easy to access by road or the city’s tram system. The company’s state-of-the-art design-led showroom is both modern and inspiring, and is a place where Tiles UK can host architects, designers and house builders to discuss trend specifications, launch new products, carry out training and conduct CPD presentations.
The company already has one of the UK’s largest ranges of wall and floor tiles, adhesives, grouts and consumables available from any one of four showrooms (Manchester, Leeds, Warrington and Nottingham). The company also has a busy transactional website.
The latest new product launch from Tiles UK is a porcelain tile called INOUT, which has a Pendulum Test Value of 46+ in wet conditions. Unusually for a tile with such a high slip rating, INOUT has a smooth, rather than riven, finish, which makes it much easier to clean than most slip resistant tiles. It is therefore ideal for installations where both slip resistance and a good aesthetic appearance are required.
This and other products from the company’s range will be on display at a number of shows and events in which the company is participating during the coming year. These include the Surface Design Show, Specifi Interiors and The Commercial Build Show.
“Our offer to specification customers includes RAL colour ranges, a slip testing service, CAD design, free sample service, sustainable, eco-friendly products and project quantities of product to be held in stock in the UK and called off as needed, eliminating any concerns about shading or calibration variances,” says Ian Kershaw, Group Managing Director. “All this is backed by the significant Group resource that we have. The market can see that over the past year we have seized the opportunity of growing commercial sales through the ProSpec Division. We are now making it clear that our expansion will continue in 2020, with exhibitions, new products and further investment in our offer to the specification sector.”
