Fermacell building boards built a bright 2013

A focus on pricing, lead times and customer service has resulted in leading building board manufacturer Fermacell breaking all UK sales records in 2013. The UK sales operation of Europe’s largest supplier of gypsum fibre board recorded a 24% rise in m2 volume in 2013 over 2012 due to strong sales performance through builders merchants (a 40% increase) and commercial projects through distributors. Much of the success can be attributed to its tapered-edge board which was reduced in price to the same as square-edge Fermacell which resulted in an increase in sales of this particular product of 40%.

At the same time, there was no list price increase in 2013, unlike many Fermacell competitors who are believed to have raised their prices by around 5%. In addition, prices for smaller quantities of material were reduced to help merchants and lead times for material from Fermacell’s factory in The Netherlands are now the same for a single pallet as they are for a full load, to anywhere in the UK.

The increased sales have also been attributed to the sales team which is now a single entity where each salesperson has a smaller area to cover. Previously, there were two teams – one for specifications and one for distributors – but the new arrangement has made each member more accountable, easier for customers to relate to, and faster to respond. At the same time, the technical department has been increased by 50% and increased use of the company’s CRM system has allowed better tracking of projects.

This has resulted in a closer relationship with sub-contractors. This year sees an even closer focus on builders’ merchants with the appointment of at least one specialist business development role. And the extensive testing programme completed during 2013 on the timber frame and offsite sectors will result in the appointment of a key account manager for this area.

Fermacell general manager Gary Carter said: “We are projecting a further 28% growth in 2014, particularly within the commercial projects sector, with additional capacity now available from our new factory in Spain. “We will also be exploiting Fermacell’s excellent performance on external walls as sheathing and render carrier which applies as much to our standard board as it does our water-resistant Powerpanel H20.”