Häfele kickstarts project specification team growth with appointment trio

Häfele UK has appointed three new senior specification consultants as part of Häfele Group’s mission to improve its specialist project services.

As part of an aggressive growth plan to expand its consultancy services and aftercare packages for the specification sector, Häfele UK has now doubled its Projects team. The move has come as part of a strategy to better support architects, designers and contractors to consolidate their supply chains, sourcing and selecting the most suitable products for use across multiple builds. 

Joining Häfele UK is Ken Binnie, who has worked within the specification market for 36 years. Previously holding posts with George Boyd & Co. and Allgood, he will now represent Häfele across the central belt of Scotland.

Additionally, Gordon Turner, who also held a post at Allgood, will work as a specification consultant across Central and South East London.

Finally, Simon Weatherer has joined the UK team from Häfele Australia. Having previously spent 15 years working in the Australian specifier market, he will now cover West London and the South West.

Their roles will centre on supporting the architectural and design community to identify the products needed to navigate construction challenges – such as the decreasing footprint of residential spaces and the need for sustainability within the sector – by promoting its key product groups and bespoke customer service packages which are tailored to deliver efficiencies for architects and designers.

Häfele’s suite of consultancy and aftercare services includes Dialock Assist and Häfele to Order, while its four key product groups – architectural hardware, Loox furniture lighting, Dialock access control and sliding door solutions – have been designed and developed in direct response to challenges in the specifier market.

Paul Smith, who was appointed to the role of Head of Specification Sales at Häfele UK in January 2019, has overseen the appointments, having earmarked an additional two roles to be filled in 2020.

Smith said: “Architects, designers and contractors are swamped with individual products that play a lone part within a project. But increasingly, we are hearing that what this market actually needs is a solution-focused offering – expert consultancy on which products and services work together in line with regulation, complete with aftercare, which can reliably transfer across projects in different sectors.

“Häfele Group already has an established footprint in the projects market globally, but in response to market demand for a more comprehensive service offering to be available, we are placing more strategic focus in this area – beginning with this series of appointments.

“Each of our new team members brings with them a huge wealth of experience within the specification sector, and I am excited to witness the calibre they will bring to new and existing UK customers, and how they will directly contribute to building on Häfele’s presence in this market, no matter where we are in the world.”

The new recruits join Steven Badgery and Mark Nicholson, existing members of the Häfele UK projects team. 

Ends

Editors notes

Gordon Turner, specification consultant at Häfele, said: “Häfele is approaching the industry in a revolutionary way; no matter which market a client approaches us from – whether that’s high end residential, or a mass fit out at a commercial unit – we’re able to say we have a solution. We’re never going to be in a position where we have to say ‘no’ to a customer, and that was the thing that attracted me to the company.

“The way that Häfele can formulate its fixtures, fittings and furniture to make best use of even the smallest spaces is completely innovative and is what the market is calling out for. In London specifically, where space is a premium, Häfele is able to offer a point of difference as its products and services are catered to help architects achieve maximum potential from even the smallest of footprints.

“It’s an exciting team to be part of, and I’m looking forward to extending my network to communicate just how flexible and adaptable Häfele’s enormous product set is, so that more people become aware of the company’s capabilities to support specifiers in their challenges.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Häfele is a global manufacturer and distributor of quality furniture fittings, lighting, hardware, ironmongery and accessories to trade and B2B customers. With a presence in the UK market for 40 years, Häfele UK offers unrivalled added value service as standard, such as accreditations, training, bespoke packaging, life-time guarantees and design support. For more information, visit https://www.hafele.co.uk/

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