Clearview Midlands November 2013 - Issue 144 | Page 88
CLEARVIEW EXCLUSIVE
businessnews
What does it take to outperform
two recessions?
Clearview caught up with CDW’s Managing Director, Jerry Webb, to
discuss how the company has manoeuvred relatively unscathed through
two recessions, focusing on how they reacted post 2008…
“When you’re busy running a
business that employs over 70
people across the whole group,
like we do at CDW Systems in
Gloucester, you can easily get
lost in the day to day operations
and not focus on the vision
of the company and how to
react to economic conditions
that are essentially out of your
control.
History has taught us recession
is a reality, from the post
Napoleonic depression to the
current day economic struggles,
we haven’t yet found a way to
escape the schizophrenic highs
and lows in our economy.
Which is why when Gordon
Brown said he’d abolished boom
and bust I was sceptical; and
burying your head in the sand is
not an option.
Essentially, in this cyclical
format, we’re all going be
affected so it becomes about
how you react and adapt to the
conditions.
new products to market that are
relevant and can help installers
distinguish themselves ahead of
their competition.
As a matter of course we launch
one new product each year, our
most recent being the highperformance, thermally insulated
Confort 160 (C160).
Investment
By the end 2008, in the UK,
manufacturing output declined
by 7 per cent and despite some
recent positive signs it’s been a
long hard slog.
Adapting and changing
In our industry this equalled
lots of change. Many companies
folded; some phoenixed and there
were mergers and acquisitions as
things re-aligned.
Here, at CDW Systems, we
have experienced relative success
during these difficult times.
And it’s not been by chance that
during the recession, in February
this year to be exact, we posted
record trading figures, with
turnover reaching £600k during
this month alone.
Throughout the recession things
have been good, spurred on by a
buoyant aluminium sector we’ve
experienced demand right across
our product range.
Low-interest rates
So what’s been the secret?
Because relying on the growing
aluminium sector isn’t enough.
You still have to recognise and
adapt to growth markets.
At the lower end of the market
the saturation of cheap credit saw
mass markets such as standard
88
NOV 2013
white PVCu windows diminish,
whereas low-interest rates and a
sluggish hou ?[??X\??]\? ?Y[??[?H ?X[ H?Y[??\?? ?^B? ][?[??\?[? Z\??Y\?]YY ?[ YH ?? X? ???x?&]?HYH?KY??[????????K[ [Z[?][H\?[Y\??Y?\?H???X\??][?Y?[? ?? X? ?]?H?\ \?Y B?] [?[?? HX\??] ???X??\??[??\[?Y\? ?X???\?Y?\?X\? H[?[Y?Y \?B??\?[?\??\?X???[?? K ??Y[?????\? ?? X? ??] ?\ ? ?[?[Y?[??H[?[???X][???Y?\?[?? \?H???\?X\? ?[??\?H[??[\?? ?\?H?[Z[X\???] ?] ?? X? ?\?H[??[X[?[??? ? X??H \?B????X\??] ??[???][???[???][?[?[??\?Y[??\?[ ???^H ??] \???Z[??B??X?\??[?\?H?[X]K??X?\??[??[??\?\?]?\?H \??H?\?[?\??\? ??][?\?Y ??]8?&\? ?][ ??H???[? H[\ ??[??[??]?? ?[???[?? ?] H?\???^H\??&][??Z[??H \?H????[??\? ? ?^H??\]]]?H[???]??X?Y ????[?[??[\? \?YX[?????[???? H???\?X\?[?????X??X?]??]YX[????[??[???H ?\?H]\?XX?[?\?H[??X?????H\????\??H ?][?]?\]X[ H ??\?[??\?[??[? [?K??X?]\?H ^H\?H H[X?\??Y??[?Y?[? ?? H?] \?H?? [?\????\[?K??]???\?[\?[ ?Y??? ??Y?[?[?[??]?H \?[????Y??[?? ?Z[?[?? ?[??\?B?^H\?H][ KY\??\[?Y[??\]Z\ YX????[ ?? X??[?\??\?[??? H X[H ? ?XX??? XZ??[? ??Y? ?[???X??YHX?]?H[? ? ?X[[[?Y??]\? [? ?KXX?]?H[???[X?\???YK??XZ?H]X\?B??H? ?[??\H??Y\]??[\H ? \Y[ ?? ?[??? ?YH[???X??X?]??[?[??[\?? ]\?B? ??Y[?? Z\??\??Y\?? ?]??^H[???X][?[?Y[??[ YH ? Z\? ?[\? ???\??\?[???[][?X?][?? ?[?] \???H Z\???\]]???]?[?? ?\??]?Y ?? ?X?\??[??[ ?XY K???\?[\? ?X?\?H ?X?X[\?[ [Z[?][H?X??X?]??\? ?[ X?Y ???H ?][?B???^H ?X]\? ]\?ZXY ?]?]\??&]?Y[??H?[??H? X???Y?[?][?? ?H]?H?X??YB??\?\?[?X[?\?[? ?H\?B??[??[?H ?]\??]8?&\??Y[?[??[?\?\?[??X\??[???\??K??'B??? ?XY[?K ?\?] ????X\??Y]?]Z???B??