A key supplier stand at Wolseley UK’s first annual conference for four years gave colleagues the chance to network with over 600 employees as the merchant’s new direction was unveiled.
Three years since the company was bought by a private equity firm, and following a restructure last year, Ideal Standard’s trade and marketing teams got the chance to make an impression at the beginning of a new period for the business.
Wolseley employees were told the new strategy will see them focus on the customer, range and supply with key suppliers. They were also told the unexpected news that the business will re-brand back to its “center” brands – including Plumb Centre (now spelt the UK English way) – it had dropped about six years ago. See the new logo below.
Our stand at the conference at the Hilton Metropole at the NEC in Birmingham gave colleagues the chance to talk about our Eurovit+ furniture and Simplicity+ toilets for a proposed domestic range. They were also able to talk about our commercial RMI (repair, maintain, install) offering, which is rolling out into 93 Wolseley branches from March, and our spares range, which is increasing to more than 80 core products in 420 branches from May.
National Accounts Manager Mike Klodzinski said: “This was a brilliant opportunity to hear about Wolseley’s plans for the coming year and beyond at a pivotal time for their business.
“Having the chance to network with over 600 Wolseley employees, including branch managers and members of their commercial team, enables us to promote our products and services when they are looking for partners to help them achieve their new objectives.”
Trade Marketing Specialist Tom Nash said: “Our stand was really busy so we got to talk to a lot of key people about what we can do for their branches and regions.
“Our putting green activity drew a lot of attention and was a really effective way of pulling people in and allowing us to start conversations with them.”