Advantage News | Here comes the judge . .

NEWS from ADVANTAGE TRADE SUPPLIES 2006


.	HERE COMES THE JUDGE . . .

Ask anyone in the business of fabricating PVCu windows, doors, conservatories and roofs
specifically for the trade, and they will tell you that the market has been tough and getting
tougher over the past couple of years.

Nowadays, for a trade fabricator to survive, let alone prosper, they have to be 100% customer focussed,
price competitive and highly efficient. You might say that these principles apply to any successful
business - and you would be right. However, in a highly competitive market, successful companies
have an extra dimension.

In the case of Cheshire - based Advantage Windows
and Conservatories, the senior management team
have recognised that because of the prevailing tough
market conditions, their sales team has to be flexible
and responsive in looking after existing customers
and highly aggressive in fighting for new business.

Over the past couple of years, while many fabricators
have seen their output fall and their profits dip,
Advantage have shown a year on year growth
in frame sales and roof sales. One of the main
reasons for this success has been the contribution
of national sales manager, Matthew Judge.

Matthew joined Advantage six years ago in 2000.
He spent his first few years after leaving school
working in the legal profession and his first
introduction to the window industry came as a
telesales representative selling hardware for a
well known distributor in Yorkshire.
Having sold to a mixture of fabricators, installers
and trade counters, Matthew soon realised that he
enjoyed dealing with the 'down to earth' people in
the window industry and wanted to stay in it.
He then had spells as a regional, and then an
area manager, for two large PVCu profile
companies before joining Advantage.

Matthew Judge, National Sales Manager
Advantage Windows and Conservatories Ltd

When he joined the company it was at the request of Advantage's Group Commercial Director -
Danny Hague. Danny had worked with Matthew at Premier Profiles and when Danny asked Matthew
to join him at Advantage, he accepted the challenge. His early role within the company was to take
responsibility for roof sales. Advantage has fabricated the K2 conservatory roof system since it
was first launched in the UK and remains one its largest manufacturers.

Following a restructure, Matthew then went on to selling frames and now oversees both frame sales
and roof sales, in his role as national sales manager, along side area managers Clive Ellis,
Joe Makin and Dean Hague.

For Matthew and the rest of the sales team, the past six months have been some of the busiest
and most rewarding in their entire careers. In January 2006, after several months of planning and
research, Advantage launched their exciting new 'Window Installers Warehouse' initiative.
The company saw that the trade counter and wholesale market remained strong, despite the
obvious difficulties facing retail window companies.

The Window Installers Warehouse initiative is now in full swing and Matthew is heavily involved in
establishing what is anticipated to become the largest chain of independently owned trade counters
in the UK. Already there are 19 branches all over the country from the north east of England down to
the south west. The concept is simple in its conception, yet very thorough in its attention to detail.
Essentially it offers retail window companies the opportunity to bolt on a trade counter to complement
their existing business, or existing independent trade counters to join the WIW group and take
advantage of the buying power and branding of a Plc.

Matthew says: "so far the response has been remarkable. All of the sales team have been involved in
selling the concept and it seems to have struck a cord within the trade. Our package includes practically
everything needed to open a new trade counter from scratch, from windows, doors, conservatories
and roofs, to plastic and roofline products, tools and ancillaries. We have sorted out all the literature,
advertising, pricing software, signage and displays. In fact, everything from the counter to the coffee
machine is covered in our manual. It's been a really exciting time because we are offering our
trade customers something different and a ready made way to tap into a valuable market."

In his capacity as national sales manager, Matthew is responsible for looking after some of Advantage's
largest accounts. When asked -'what individuals or companies within the window industry do you
admire and why', his reply reflects his achievements at Advantage having watched many small
accounts turn into major customers. He says: "I really admire the determination of companies
such as TWS, Interbuild and PVC Direct, who are all Advantage customers, for the way they have
managed and grown their businesses in these difficult times."

Despite over 12 years of experience in the window industry, Matthew is still young enough to enjoy
activities such as scuba diving & snowboarding. He is wise enough to know that neither a sales team
nor a company will ever achieve success unless they continually innovate and move forward.
When asked about the future he says: "I'm thankful that at Advantage we have all the necessary tools
at our disposal to really go out and attack the market. We have both Rehau and Spectus frames and
K2 roofs in our bag as well as the Window Installers Warehouse initiative. However, all of this
wouldn't matter if we weren't able to sell. If there's one thing about this industry I would change,
it's the fact that there isn't enough emphasis on pure selling and too much reliance on price. "

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HERE COMES THE JUDGE . . .