Director of the Month
Director of the Month: Owen Coop, CEO of Carl F Groupco
FACTS AND FIGURES:
First job: I finished University and started a week later as a trainee accountant at UK Petroleum Products back in 1997.
When did you join or set up current company: I joined Carl F Groupco in 2019, just before the pandemic locked us all down!
Most useful/favourite gadget: Without hesitation my iPhone. It’s invaluable for work purposes – although I am strict in turning it off at least an hour before bed.
Favourite/most useful website: It has to be Google! For market research, potential customer and supplier information, product details and development. How did we obtain all this information before Google?!
Favourite restaurant : The Red Lion in Cranford, close to where I live. There is always something special on the menu.
Business person you admire: Steve Jobs. One of the most influential entrepreneurs and inventors to date. He, with Steve Wozniak, completely transformed a failing Apple Inc into the world leader in telecoms it is today.
What lesson have you learnt about business over the last 12 months: Flexibility is critical – whatever business plans you have made, always be prepared for the curveball.
Best business decision: Up until now, most of my career had been working for large multinational companies – moving from that into a business such as Carl F Groupco, with a close-knit team of talented individuals makes a huge difference to how motivated you are.
Other interests: I play golf every weekend and am an avid supporter of Birmingham City Football Club. Other than that, its family time with my wife and our three boys.
Working Day: Each day can vary, however, more times than not it involves a 6.30 alarm, before heading out to the office at 7.30am. I like to catch up with the managers and staff first thing. This dialogue continues throughout the day – the open door policy we have at Carl F Groupco means my office is a place where we are always discussing products and new ideas. The rest of the time is shared between meetings with our supply partners and visiting customers. I try to limit working in the evening but tend to relax more if I know those last few emails have been answered.
Working Location: As a multi-site operation, you will find me either at our headquarters in Peterborough or at our Cumbernauld depot in Scotland. With two well-positioned locations, we can offer a full next-day service to customers across the UK, and even into the Scottish Highlands and islands, a service that is rare in this industry. This prompt and efficient service enables our customers to keep stockholding low while reducing risk and improving cash flow. By streamlining their supply chain, we are actively supporting their operational efficiencies.
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THE INTERVIEW:
Despite the market uncertainty, here at Carl F Groupco we were delighted to see the strength of our year-on-year growth in 2024. We attribute our growth – and indeed our decades-long track record in business – to getting the basics right. We focus on products, partnerships and professionalism so we can provide our customers with the hardware solutions and support they need to allow their businesses to flourish. It is this approach that sets us apart and gives our customers a reason to choose us. We guarantee that you will receive the same level of service whether you order a single pair of hinges or an entire pallet’s worth of hardware.
In terms of products, we have over 6,000 products from 57 brands, including all the major names such as Roto, Siegenia, FUHR, Maco and Yale. It means our customers can order all their hardware components from a single source. Having one invoice, one delivery and one point to place the order helps to streamline their administration and finance processes.
We make daily, nationwide, next-day deliveries, holding up to £5 million in stock at any one time to maximise availability. We reinforce this commitment with a robust On Time In Full (OTIF) measure.
Fulfilment of entire orders
Instead of the standard industry practice of measuring OTIF based on individual line items, we focus on the fulfilment of entire orders. This means that if any component is missing, the order does not count towards our OTIF figure. We do this because if we only send 98 out of 100 components, we know we have let the customer down. 98% of tilt and turn hardware is useless if the customer is missing the vital hardware component that means a window cannot be made.
We report our OTIF performance daily and communicate to staff at all levels. This transparent approach fosters a strong company-wide commitment to maintaining our benchmark of over 98%. Our sales, warehouse and logistic teams are all committed to achieving this service promise, meaning that every order is dispatched accurately and on schedule to ensure we deliver excellence and reliability to our customers.
At Carl F Groupco, we take our product offer further with support such as splitting boxes for customers. We also repackage components into bespoke hardware sets to customer requirements, including customised branded labels and part codes as required. This service, particularly for profile system houses, reduces hardware picking requirements and streamlines distribution.
In terms of partnerships, we have worked with many of our supply partners for many years, if not decades. For example, we became the UK distributor of FUHR door locks in 1962.
Today, we are the largest stockist of FUHR products in the UK and one of its biggest customers worldwide.
The company’s relationship with FUHR meant we could liaise with its product team to confirm all the correct certifications were in place for the FUHR 870 Type 8 Emergency Exit multipoint door to meet the new UKCA standard. We work at a more strategic level too, including putting forward business cases for new product requirements such as profile-specific product parts or adaptations to existing product lines to make them more suitable for UK fabrication and standards requirements. We even work to develop new product lines such as the SmartSecure range of smart options for motorised multipoint locking and access control.
Longstanding relationships
Our team is similarly longstanding. Half of our employees have worked for us for more than 10 years. Our Scottish Depot Manager, Darren Gait, has been with us for over 40 years! These longstanding relationships are invaluable for bringing value and consistency to our customers.
The longevity of our team means there is extensive technical expertise in every part of the business from director level to purchasing, sales, marketing and warehouse staff. To supplement this experience, staff receive training internally and with suppliers to continually increase their knowledge.
Our commitment to continuous professional development means we are able to deliver a service that goes beyond hardware supply.
For example, for weather, durability and security testing assistance on customer window and door sets, we can go beyond just advising on the compliant hardware. We support throughout the full process, from hardware selection advice to onsite visits to support fit-ups and pre-test preparations. This support not only covers our own products but also includes other requirements such as screw selection and reinforcing requirements.
Plus, our standard practice is to collaborate throughout the supply chain and bring in manufacturers’ technical experts to attend fit-ups and test days to continue to educate on best fitting practice.
Elsewhere, our commitment to professionalism extends to collaboration across all parts of the business to ensure best practice thrives. Our independent status means we can objectively offer the best technical hardware solutions without having to consider the best commercial sale. Our marketing staff ensure product information is up-to-date and distributed to customers. Our sales staff visit customers with suppliers to work on projects together. At the director level, there is work to establish favourable pricing structures that benefit customers.
We know our approach is one our customers value because it is reflected in more longstanding partnerships. Six of our top ten fabricator customers have been sourcing from us for over 20 years. I think this speaks volumes in an industry where shopping around is second nature.
Of course, while much of the way we do business hasn’t changed over the years, we know we cannot stand still. We’re committed to staying ahead of the curve with market-driven products that help our customers deliver.
The latest addition to our range is the Dynamic Hardware suite of window and door hardware. The name might be new to the market, but its senior leadership team at Dynamic Hardware has been in the industry for over 40 years. All the products are designed in-house by industry experts with a track record in intelligent hardware innovation, which is all reflected in the qualities of the product.
I am proud to lead a business that has lasted over 70 years and is one of the largest independent suppliers in the sector. I am even more proud to lead a company that holds such strong values and in which every single person strives to deliver above-and-beyond in every single interaction every single day. It is this shared commitment to excellence that drives our success and defines who we are.
