What do you like about your role and the sectors you work in?
Without doubt, the customers that I serve in my territory. Having covered South Wales for over 25 years, a lot of my clients have now become my very close friends. It’s a great pleasure to work with them and get to know them also on a personal level. I also enjoy the diversity of the specification role, one day I can be meeting with a partner of a key Architectural practice, a Quantity Surveyor from a Main Contractor, a Flooring Fitter for a critical project or an End user from any target sector, this can happen all in the same day!
Business conversations can be consultative or transactional based, depending on the needs of the client that day. I am responsible for many sectors, with Education and Healthcare as a key focus, and I regularly collaborate with our Key Account Managers for Sports, Industry, Retail when specialist services and advice is required. It’s great to have a team of experts working together to deliver added value solutions.
What challenges are driving many businesses today in the markets you work in?
Unfortunately, right up there are Budgets. In large construction projects, the choice of flooring is one of the last elements to be considered and installed, by when, there’s often very little money left to finish the project to a suitable standard for the client’s brief. I spend a significant amount of time trying to value engineer solutions from within our vast portfolio of products, to ensure that the needs of the customer are serviced to a very high-quality, and that the project is delivered on time and to budget to meet the expectations of all stakeholders.
Thankfully, with the combined package of innovative ranges we have across the Gerflor and Gradus businesses, and with best sellers held in UK stock for a fast delivery, I am pleased and delighted to be able to find solutions to most project requests.
What are your favourite Gerflor and Gradus solutions and why?
I really enjoy getting involved in sports flooring specifications and finding the right solution for all players, whether it’s an urgent refurbishment or a new build construction project. With the safety and comfort of all users, regardless of their age and sporting experience, interacting with the floor is a key priority and concern.
My personal favourite, therefore, would have to be our Taraflex® sports floorings, that are market leading indoor sports surfaces, extremely popular in the leisure and education markets, solutions are available for all budgets and for every user, whether it is for toddlers taking their first steps or Olympians chasing that Gold medal. I think it’s impressive that there are now over 100 sites in South Wales alone, that benefit from the same playing surface that has been installed at every Olympic game since 1976.
Another favourite of mine, is the new Gradus Bronze and Aluminium XT Stair Edging finishes, including the new metal castellated insert. A fantastic product innovation to elevate projects in hospitality, leisure, retail, commercial office and premium residentials settings, perfect for standing out from the crowd. XT is recognised as being the ultimate stair edging solution, with a unique insert design, which extends around the leading edge of the stair edging to ensure maximum safety underfoot.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I enjoy spending time with my family. Being a father of 2 daughters (5 & 14-year-old – yes, a big age gap there!) keeps me extremely busy, so I don’t often get a lot of ‘spare time’! However, when I can… I do try to get some quality ‘me’ time, this is spent riding along the coast or the mountains of scenic South Wales on my super and fast motorbike!
If you need specification advice, then contact Tony today.
Email at tony.thorne@gerflor.com or give him a call on 07947 541244.
