Wednesday 28 November 2012

BMF reveal improvement in building materials' sales


Some good news for building products sector as the Builders' Merchants Federation reveal that their monthly indicators show sales of building materials have increased in Q3.

Materials sales increased by 1.9% in July to September 2012, compared with the same period last year; and by 8.9% when compared with the preceding quarter of this year. Although this is encouraging news the BMF's research also indicates a fall nationally of 1.6% in builders' merchant sales for the 12 months to September 2012 over the previous 12-month period.

The BMF secretary, Peter Matthews, said: "It is clear that construction is lagging behind other industries in coming out of recession, largely due to the financial constraints limiting building activity and the housing market.

"Construction has a high proportion of small businesses who are suffering the consequences of the credit squeeze on two fronts. Mortgage lending is running at about 30% of average levels and it is this which impacts on housebuilding and the home improvement market. Lenders are treating smaller building companies like social pariahs and refusing them lines of credit.

"If the situation is to improve in the foreseeable future, we need more than just the Bank of England's lacklustre Funding For Lending Scheme to start lending again."

Pinnacle Consulting is a leading UK recruitment agency for the building product and merchant sector. Click  to see the latest building products sales jobs.

Which building product manufacturers are excelling in difficult times?


Pinnacle Consulting is keen to promote and congratulate excellence in the construction industry, especially that of manufacturers  and suppliers of building products. 

Many of these are featured by the Construction Products Association in its latest showcase publication Construction Products Innovation and Achievement (CPIA), which highlights some of the most innovative products and processes that have been developed by the construction products industry within the last year or so.

The publication is introduced with a foreword from the joint co-chairman of the Green Construction Board, BIS Minister Michael Fallon MP and Mike Putnam, President and Chief Executive Officer of Skanska UK, who commended ‘the unstinting focus on innovation which construction product manufacturers are demonstrating during difficult times.’

Commenting on the entries chosen for the publication, Simon Storer, Communications and External Affairs Director for the Construction Products Association said; ‘The industry has had another very difficult year with most forecasts pointing to a continuing period of little or no growth.  Despite this we are delighted that the construction products industry continues to show an enormous desire to introduce a variety of new and exciting solutions.  Companies understand only too well the competitive edge that innovation brings and that creativeness is a key part of their current and future commercial success.  Encouragingly investment in product improvement, innovation and R&D has remained consistently strong throughout the down-turn.’

‘If anybody believed this industry was standing still then you only need to look at the products and processes showcased in CPIA 2012/13 to see how the industry is delivering improvements. The construction products industry has proved once again its enormous ability to lead, by devising new, more efficient, more sustainable ways of doing things.  This creative and innovative approach is not confined just to a select few in one or two sectors, but can be seen as a key driver for an industry that is continuously improving and constantly changing.’

‘The entries in this year’s publication are once again featured under four headings; Energy and Carbon Saving; Health, Safety and Security; Improvements in Site Efficiency; and Resource Efficiency. The companies featured in these categories demonstrate that by improving efficiency and creating safer operations on site, the industry is leading the way in developing new improvements to the benefit of all concerned, including clients and end users, company employees and especially the environment in which we live.’

‘As well as the entries in the publication, there is a further selection of examples available on the Association website, highlighting that the construction products industry is at the forefront of embracing and leading innovation.  CPIA was always intended to show how the industry as a whole is at the forefront of innovation, improvement and change and we can be proud that our industry continues not only to aim high but also to deliver this range of solutions and improvements.’

To find out more click here

Pinnacle Consulting is a specialist in sales, marketing and product development recruitment for the construction industry. Take a look at our current building products sales jobs.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Win a round of Golf on the St Andrews Torrance Course for TWO

St. Andrews is the home of golf and you and a friend could be playing there sooner than you think...

Pinnacle Consulting has teamed up with Red Letter Days to give you the opportunity to experience something different. All you need to do is sign up to our e-letter 'Pin Points' and you will automatically be entered in a draw to win a an experience of your choice and one option is the Torrance course at St. Andrews.

Enjoy a round of golf at the highly-acclaimed Fairmont St Andrews Torrance Course - one of the finest in Scotland. Home to the Cleveland/Srixon Scottish Senior Open and qualifying rounds, The Torrance is popular amongst tour players and discerning locals alike. With traditional revetted links bunkers and a great new layout, The Torrance offers golfers a great day out. This experience includes a round for two people.

Take a look at some of the other amazing experiences on offer here.

'Pin Points' brings the latest building industry news, trends and recruitment advice, for both candidates and employers, direct to your inbox. All you have to do is sign up to 'Pin Points' here, and start dreaming about the new experience you might have!

Please also have a look at our latest building products sales jobs on our website.

Monday 19 November 2012

Construction Output at Lowest level for more than Ten Years

The latest construction output figures from ONS published this month show that output in Q3 has fallen for the fifth consecutive quarter, with falls being experienced across almost every sector of the industry. Output is now at its lowest level since the second quarter of 1999.

Overall, construction output in the third quarter of 2012 was 2.6 per cent lower than in the preceding quarter and 11.3 per cent lower than it was one year ago.

Commenting on these latest figures, Noble Francis, Economics Director at the Construction Products Association said:  ‘The sharp impacts of public sector cuts can be seen clearly, with public housing output 18.7 per cent lower than one year ago and public non-housing output, which is mainly education and health work, 19.7 per cent lower than one year ago.

‘Worryingly the private sector, which it was hoped would offset these falls and lead the construction recovery, is now also falling sharply, with the private commercial sector, the largest construction sector, 17.4 per cent lower than it was one year ago.

Construction Products Association Industry Outlook‘Despite an array of recent government announcements, focusing on infrastructure and private housing, very little of this has yet translated into actual work on the ground.

‘Private housing output in the third quarter was 10.6 per cent lower than one year ago and infrastructure output in the sane quarter was 11.3 per cent lower than a year ago.

Latest Construction Sales Jobs from Pinnacle Consulting


Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Monday 12 November 2012

Would you like a luxury weekend getaway?


Pinnacle Consulting has teamed up with Red Letter Days to give you the opportunity to experience something different. All you need to do is sign up to our e-letter 'Pin Points' and you will automatically be entered in a draw to win a £250 Red Letter Day Gift Pack. So how about surprising your loved one and enjoy a luxury weekend getaway?
Venture south of the river, to Bermondsey Square, a stylish boutique hotel in the heart of trendy SE1. Check in and proceed to a superior double or twin room which includes within its walls Apple TV (which can integrate with your laptop and iPod) and a wet room featuring a Grohe drench shower. A full English breakfast is included after a fitful night's rest. This area is one of London s funkiest and up-and-coming, within a stone's throw it offers delights suchs as art galleries, boutiques, bars and restaurants. TATE modern, the Globe Theatre and Borough Market are all on the doorstep so get out and explore these local joys during your stay.

Take a look at some of the other amazing experiences on offer here.

'Pin Points' brings the latest building industry news, trends and recruitment advice, for both candidates and employers, direct to your inbox. All you have to do is sign up to 'Pin Points' here, and start dreaming about the new experience you might have!

Please also have a look at our latest building products sales jobs on our website.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Featured Building Product Sales and Marketing Jobs for November

November 2012 - This month we have some really interesting UK wide building product sales jobs, specification sales jobs and construction marketing jobs in bathroom products, roofing, cladding and decorative products. Take a look to see if any meet your career development plans.
See below for full details of our featured jobs (click 'Read more').

Keep informed of ALL our latest jobs when they become available on our Facebook page. Remember to click LIKE! to ensure you receive all the benefits.

Monday 5 November 2012

Attention all field sales professionals: Your chance to have a moan!

With most markets becoming more competitive, we need to maximise every resource available to succeed in our jobs. It becomes very frustrating if we are hindered by not having the resources or support to achieve our targets.

In a sales position this is even more important as a salesperson can often rely on others. 

We would like to find out from professionals in building products sales jobs what their biggest frustrations are that prevent success.


Vote in our POLL for the SINGLE main reason that restricts your chances of success.  Feel free to elaborate and comment further.

Lack of office support
Do you find your day wasted by calls being put through to you, which could be easily handled by the office? Can you rely on them to support you by sending out literature, samples and technical information as well as answering queries and sorting out minor problems so that you can concentrate on selling? Do you get enough quality leads from the office to assist you to grow your area?

Bogged down by paperwork
Do you spend most of your time completing time sheets, visit reports, sales updates, prospects sheets and sales figures and find yourself spending more time doing this than actually going out selling?

Lack of sales aids
Are you given enough relevant literature and technical documentation to meet the needs of your customers and prospects?  Is your company’s website user-friendly and can it be used to enhance your sell and as an added value information source? Do you have samples, presentations, point-of-sale material and demonstration equipment provided as part of your portfolio?

Lack of product and market training
Do you find yourself struggling with product knowledge and understanding of regulations due to lack of a professional and structured training programme by your company.  Does this prevent you from selling effectively on features and benefits and adopting a more technical sale and taking the conversation away from price?

Poor operational support
Are you always let down by operations resulting in damaging your integrity with your customers due to factors such as: late delivery, out of stocks, too long lead-times, unrealistic minimum order quantities, excessive delivery charges or damaged or incorrect stock being sent?

Poor product or lack of range
Do you find that you cannot compete against your competitors because your company’s range is not broad enough or that the product is not of sufficient quality to develop brand loyalty and trust?

Unable to compete on price 
Do you always lose out on price and can never understand why your product is so much more expensive than your competitors?

Let us know your thoughts and don’t forget to vote!
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.


Pinnacle Consulting specialise in external and internal sales positions with manufacturers, merchants or distributors across the whole building, construction and interiors product spectrum.

Take a look at our latest jobs...

Thursday 1 November 2012

Building Product Sales Career Development Clinics for November


If you are looking for a new job or are considering the next stage of your career, we are holding our PinBuild Career Development Clinics throughout the UK this November, so it would be a good time to come and meet us for a confidential and useful discussion.

PinBuild Clinics are designed for sales and marketing professionals in the building products, construction and interiors sectors to provide specialist career advice throughout their time in the industry.

Contact us to arrange to meet one of our specialist industry consultants. It could be your most important appointment to help you develop your career in the building and construction industry.

Tel: 01480 405225

November 2012 PinBuild Clinics
  • Thursday 8th November - Nottingham
  • Tuesday 20th November - Birmingham
  • Thursday 22nd November - London (Sleep Exhibition)
  • Thursday 22nd November - Bristol
  • Tuesday 27th November - Guildford
  • Thursday 29th November - Holmes Chapel, North West

PinBuild Clinics will evaluate the job seeker’s career to date and identify the best opportunities available. The clinics provide professionals with expert advice on how to progress their career by discussing the industry sectors that have potential for growth, the skills and focus needed to ensure that they develop with the changing nature of the market and how to ensure that their career continues to progress rather than stagnating.

The clinics will also assist those that attend to map out a realistic and achievable career path, including any potential training requirements. Assistance will also be given to evaluate their CV and also their interview technique and where they should focus to ensure they realise their true potential in the building and construction industry.

We specialise in external and internal sales positions, marketing and management roles and director and board appointments with manufacturers, merchants or distributors across the whole building, construction and interiors product spectrum.