When two make one
– Carl F Groupco
When two companies unite together
to make their product offering
more attractive to customers, it can
sometimes take time for the dust to
settle. Often customers see service
levels dip, product lines made obsolete
and the introduction of confusing new
processes put in place.
However, since holding company
Tommico Limited announced the merger
of Carl F Petersen and Groupco to
become known as Carl F Groupco back
in 2010 they have grown in strength and
at this year’s FIT Show they proved that
joining forces has made them one of the
industry’s top hardware suppliers in the
UK.
Clearview met with John Crittenden,
Managing Director of Carl F Groupco
at the show to discuss how he felt
the market had accepted the two
companies’ merger and plans for the
future.
“Since the merger we have continued
to work towards offering our customers
the ultimate service, we are keenly
focussed on our 98% first time and in
full delivery policy and in turn we have
seen a healthy upturn for our business
year on year, almost 13% increase in
turnover from last year’s figure.”
Our Products
“In terms of products we have been
able to add extensively to our range,
including own-brand lines and industry
leading manufacturer’s lines including
Cotswold, FUHR, Fullex, Greenwood,
Hoppe, Kenrick, MACO, PN, Siegenia,
Strand and Trojan, we now offer over
6,500 product lines covering door and
74
window hardware, ventilation systems,
tools and consumables.”
Carl F Groupco’s latest product
launches including patio door hardware
were showcased on their stand.
Siegenia’s lift and slide, HS Portal
hardware was another key feature
– designed for its simplicity and
sophistication, it enables the door to be
operated with just one finger, making
opening and closing the door effortless.
In partnership with its supplier PN, the
company has also developed reversible
gearing to suit the new Eurocell Modus
PVC system.
In response to demand for a high-level
security euro cylinder, the company
also recently launched CFG3* Cylinder.
The new cylinder was displayed on
the stand with other security products
supplied by Carl F Groupco and
meets 3* accreditation for TS 007, the
Kitemarked product achieves PAS 24
and is accredited by Secured by Design.
The cylinder carries a full ten year
warranty and features Anti-Drill, Snap,
Plug, Pick and Bump.
Our People
“We continue to invest time and effort
in our staff throughout the business,
developing skills, encouraging
empowerment and are pleased at the
way we have maintained a very high
calibre of staff throughout the years
since the merger.
“We believe it is necessary to
update all staff with order and delivery
statistics – this gives full visibility to the
company’s daily targets. As a result,
all our teams, including despatch staff
are highly motivated and remain totally
focused on clearing orders. There is
also the added incentive of bacon
butties at the end of each month for the
whole company when we achieve our
targets!” laughed John.
Carl F Groupco employs 41 staff at
their distribution centre at Peterborough
including their sales, accounts,
warehouse and despatch departments.
A further three people are employed at
their Scottish depot in Cumbernauld,
allowing them to provide products
across Scotland, the Highlands and
Offshore Islands.
Our Service
“We have also continued to develop
our processes, such as evolving our
CRM system for enhanced customer
communication. We are experiencing a
trend of general increased demand from
customers across our whole product
range and it is encouraging that growth
is being felt across the industry.” John
continues.
Carl F Groupco has recently invested
a staggering £60k into developing a
new IT portal for their website, which
will enable customers to order online, gain traceability on their orders
and deliveries. The new IT system
is currently being trialled and Carl F
Groupco has plans to launch sometime
this autumn.
Meeting with John and his staff on the
stand and talking to them about the new
services and products on offer, it was
evident to see that the two individual
companies that once were, no longer
exist and united they will continue to
evolve and grow into an even more
exciting business.
Tel: 01733 393330
Visit: www.carlfgroupco.co.uk