Andy Guilor, business manager (Industrial) at Duo UK has been named The Manufacturer’s employee of the month June 2015.
What is your role and what are your main responsibilities?
My main responsibility is to grow and develop the industrial sector within the business. I develop the sales strategy to target this market and suggest new products, strategies and possible investment needed to attract and maintain customers in this division.
I will also be responsible for developing a training programme for our sales team.
What are the key technical skills you use?
We treat each potential new customer as an individual. Every customer has different requirements from their packaging and I believe spending time within a company’s different departments such as the factory floor; purchasing; QC; logistics, helps me to gain a full understanding of its processes and requirements from its packaging and from its suppliers.
I then use my technical knowledge to propose the most suitable blends and suggest new working practices to meet, and hopefully exceed, expectations saving time and money.
What personal characteristics help you in your role?
Trust is extremely important – your customer needs to be able to trust your judgement when suggesting new ways to develop packaging and the assurance that it will work.
Everything to me is personal. When I send a packaging proposal to a customer, I see it as a set of promises set out by Duo, but just as importantly something being promised by me as an individual, and I never go back on a promise.
What do you consider to be your biggest personal success at the company so far?
Duo highlighted some years ago that it wanted to increase its customer base and market areas to grow its business and I was fortunate enough to be employed here at this very exciting time.
Developing the products and services to meet the specific requirements of industrial clients has been a real team effort, from the R&D team developing new products, to establishing funding streams for new machinery.
I am very proud that over the past five years Duo’s presence in the industrial market has grown and is now as equally recognised for its supply of technical film products as it is for retail packing.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The challenge of finding a new prospect, making the first contact and then developing a proposal that exceeds expectations. Seeing that partnership develop and last for many years is extremely rewarding.
Do you have a grand career ambition?
I am new to this role and I am very much looking forward to implementing the strategy and growing the division even further.
Duo has a new, dynamic board and a lot of new talent being nurtured in all areas of the business which has created a very ambitious and driven culture. The team and I are determined to grow the business and build on the solid reputation we have earned as trusted packaging experts.
