Rapid rise for Vas
Vas Lazarevych is celebrating 15 years at Window Ware, following a rise through the ranks at the independent hardware distributor.
Having joined the business as a picker and packer in the warehouse, Vas soon progressed to the roles of junior operative and then senior operative responsible for moving, loading, and unloading goods using the forklift truck.
When the opportunity arose to apply for a job in the trade counter, he didn’t hesitate. And it was this role which ultimately opened the door for Vas to a role in purchasing. Five years later, Vas successfully landed a promotion to purchasing manager in October 2021.
Today, Vas leads a small team and manages all the daily purchasing activities, including procuring all goods, helping to build strong relationships with brand partners, and managing inventory levels to maintain service levels, stock availability and OTIF delivery performance for customers.
He works closely with colleagues across all primary business functions to strike a ‘perfect balance’ between supply and demand; that means carefully managing inbound lines, so the warehouse team is never overloaded with goods-in, as well as maintaining constant lines of communication with the sales team so they have everything they need to meet their customers’ needs.
Vas said: “Even though joining the purchasing team in 2016 was undoubtedly a career-defining moment for me, every single role I’ve held at Window Ware has helped me to get where I am today. Together, they’ve given me a comprehensive understanding of the whole business.
“I’ve always felt there’s a real family-feel to working at Window Ware and we’ll go the extra mile to support each other and build strong, long-lasting working relationships both in – and outside the organisation.”
Sam Nuckey, Window Ware’s MD, said: “After 15 years, and with six different roles under his belt, Vas has a wealth of knowledge about every aspect of our business, so he’s a tremendous asset to the team.
“A business is only as good as its people, so making sure we have a skilled and experienced team that knows its stuff is the surest way to create a better service for our customers and set the company up for success.”