Glass Times editor, Luke Wood, visits Bohle UK, to learn more about how a new leadership team has provided the catalyst for a renewed vision and focus for the business.

At the start of this year, Stephen Roscoe joined Bohle UK as the new sales director, bringing with him 28 years of commercial expertise in specification-led sales, commercial projects, route-to-market development and customer growth.

Since his appointment, the business has welcomed additional team members and has taken steps to explore new growth opportunities but has also retained its key strength as an organisation that has been built on longstanding working relationships and outstanding customer service.

As Stephen said:

“When I first came in, what really struck me was how solid Bohle’s customer perception was. Glaziers in the UK have a great perception of Bohle as a brand and a company. That demonstrates how our service team has done an incredible job of taking care of our customers, and why our customers really trust us – the knowledge and expertise of the team here is second to none.”

Stephen is supported by Andrea Dench, a long-time Bohle UK team member who originally joined in 2000, and who has now taken on the role of director of finance & administration. Having been promoted from finance manager, Andrea has a deep-rooted knowledge of the business, while her new role encompasses a wide remit of responsibilities that include HR, operations, Health & Safety, facilities and IT coordination for the UK team.

That means her day-to-day can include everything from analysing trading currencies and overseeing GDPR compliance, to managing the company fleet and taking responsibility for inventory and supply at Bohle’s Dukinfield warehouse.
As part of the UK team’s restructuring, she has also spent time in every department at Bohle UK, ensuring that staff are individually supported.

“As a business that is reliant on people, I strongly believe that employee wellbeing is closely linked to business performance,” she says. “This has helped strengthen communication and reinforce a positive working culture.

“Bohle has also supported me in my own personal development, which has included completing the CMI Level 7 in Strategic Management and becoming a Chartered Manager,” she continues. “Equivalent to a Master’s Degree, the CMI Level 7 Strategic Management and Leadership course is designed to improve your practical ability to impact on organisational success at a strategic level and to translate organisational strategy into effective operational performance.”

Working in partnership with Stephen under a co-leadership structure, it allows each to focus on their respective areas of expertise, so while

Andrea oversees finance, administration, operations and people, Stephen takes the lead on commercial strategy and customer growth.

They also benefit from the support of Bohle AG, including Eric Miller – CEO in the US – and Global EVP, which has played a significant role in shaping the Bohle UK’s strategic direction.

A strategic roadmap
With the new team in place, Stephen explains how Bohle UK is now positioning itself to expand into the specifier market, targeting architects, interior designers and specification professionals who influence material selection on large-scale commercial, residential and hospitality projects.

This includes embedding products at specification level, a process that has involved joining NBS Source, home of the National BIM Library.

The initial focus will be on VetroMount – Bohle’s versatile and easy to fit glass balustrade system that has been designed to save installers significant amounts of time on site – followed in due course by products such as the MasterTrack sliding glass door system, and the FrameTec glass partitioning system.

These products continue to give Bohle customers a significant advantage, not just through the speed and ease at which they can be installed, but also thanks to their tested performance, ease of specification, technical support and availability.

“It’s a new direction for Bohle UK but reflects broader thinking about market approach,” says Stephen. “When architects and specifiers become familiar with Bohle’s product range, reliability and what we can deliver for their projects, demand builds from multiple directions.

“Glaziers and contractors purchasing materials for main-site projects become familiar with the brand and team through specification channels and sales strengthen as result – it’s a halo effect with real commercial logic behind it.

“The strategy isn’t about changing who we sell to; it’s about creating demand further upstream so that more specified opportunities ultimately flow through our glazing and installation partners,” he continues.

“By getting Bohle products specified earlier in the project cycle, we can create opportunities that ultimately come back through our glazing customers. It gives us greater project visibility, gives installers access to specified solutions and reduces the risk of the decision simply coming down to price at quotation stage.”

Stephen adds that Bohle UK is now implementing a three-phase plan, starting with team development and followed by introductions into the commercial and specification sectors through multiple channels that include CPD offerings around Bohle’s products, a presence on NBS Source, strategic participation in the construction community and direct engagement with interior designers and architects.

That will be then followed by the implementation of CRM tools to track pipeline development, capturing and measuring opportunities and then building a repeatable model for specification-led growth.

“It’s an exciting time for Bohle UK,” says Stephen. “Our glazing customers remain absolutely central to our strategy.

“The aim isn’t to compete with them for projects; it’s to help create opportunities for them. By engaging architects and specifiers earlier, getting Bohle systems considered at design stage and supporting projects technically, we can generate demand that ultimately flows through our glazing, fabrication and installation partners.

“We also have new products in the pipeline, including a competitively priced shower door system that will be available with a range of new colours, and we are also working hard to further enhance our stock availability on key products,” he continues.

“We’ve also bolstered our sales team with the addition of Simon Claessens as regional sales manager North, and Lisa Flynn as our new sales account manager and we are all looking forward to moving forward together. Bohle UK is built on strong foundations and the future is bright because of it.”