Tim Taylor, Commercial Director at VEKA Plc
FACTS AND FIGURES:
First job: I joined BOC Gases in 1999 on their graduate training scheme and was there for 10 years. It was a fantastic company to work for and I enjoyed the opportunity to work in many different sectors – industrial, medical, nuclear, aerospace and hospitality.
When I joined VEKA: Following 10 years in the Beer Industry, working for Molson Coors who brew Carling, Coors Light, Doom Bar and Madri, I joined VEKA Plc in March 2022 as Commercial Director, and Board member, responsible for sales, marketing, technical and procurement based at VEKA’s UK HQ in Burnley, Lancashire.
Most useful/favourite gadget: I was given a couple of AirTags a few months ago and it is brilliant to help me find my car keys and my twelve-year-old daughter’s school bag!
Favourite/most useful website: ‘Play Cricket’ is an app that is always on my phone as it helps to keep track on how my boys are getting on at their cricket matches, when I can’t be there in person. They both play locally and for Yorkshire County Cricket Club so there are a lot of games I don’t get to see.
Business person I admire: I have a lot of admiration for entrepreneurs and owners who have taken big risks in business. Many of our customers at some time have had to go “all in” and back themselves by taking some big decisions. Some of them are getting ready for retirement and looking to move on and I admire the journey they have been on and in doing so they deserve all the rewards that come with it.
What I’ve learned about business over the last 12 months: Flexibility is key. The market changes quickly, and the ability to adapt is critical to long-term success.
Best business decision: Bringing VEKA Recycling under the umbrella of VEKA Plc. This integration has been a game-changer, allowing us to maximise the potential of the circular economy.
Other interests: Family life revolves around sport. Charlie, 17, has sports scholarship at Rugby School where he is doing his A Levels, playing cricket and rugby so we travel down quite a bit from Yorkshire. William, 14, just starting GCSEs, is still at home and plays in the Huddersfield RUFC U15s, where I am the Head Coach. Sophia, 12, has a talent for singing and entertains us all day long with her love for musical theatre! When I do get time to myself, as well as spending time with my wife Emma, I am still working through our house renovation, 10 years after we moved in, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.
My workspace: VEKA’s HQ is in Burnley, and it usually takes me around an hour to drive in most days. It is a bit difficult to travel to Lancashire each day, as a proud Yorkshireman, but coming back each evening to God’s Own County is a pleasure!
We have a very large site in Burnley which stretches over two postcodes, with specialist areas focusing on testing, innovation and quality spread across the 400,000 ft² site.
I enjoy spending my time with the team trying to help them work on solutions to problems and look at new opportunities.
A large part of my role is as part of the UK Board. We spend a lot of time together working on business wide initiatives to create a positive workplace and ensure the global VEKA culture is integrated into ours.
One of the pleasures of my job is that I get to travel around the country to spend time with our customers, and with our VEKA Recycling team in Wellingborough.
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THE INTERVIEW:
The last 12-months at VEKA will define the next generation of our company. From closing the loop on our sustainability practices, to the release of a product that will revolutionise the market – it has been a special period to be a part of.
It’s quite rare in life that you know when you are amid a definitive period – it’s usually something you can only notice in retrospect – but in business, you can get a feeling.
Having watched OMNIA – the UK’s first double-rebated, double-flush system – released to the market after three years of research and development, and bringing VEKA Recycling under the Plc umbrella, it’s easy to recognise that the work we have done in the last 12 months will have a long-lasting impact on the business.
In addition to this, we’ve made some big improvements in house. We’ve increased the percentage of recycled material in our products to over 30%, and we’re aiming to take that to 40%. Our customers have responded very positively to this, particularly in the wake of growing environmental concerns.
Success is usually determined by numbers alone, but the achievements of the last year will be visible for a long time. While the market has endured a difficult period, long-standing customers extending their relationship with VEKA is a reassuring source of optimism for trading.
The relationship VEKA has with customers is unlike anything I have previously experienced in other commercial roles – a family ethos is instilled in us by VEKA AG, sales are not simply treated as a transaction.
Product innovation
Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at VEKA. Our recent launch of OMNIA has been a major success. The flush window market continues to grow, and we’re seeing more and more customers adopting this new product.
In time, I believe it will surpass traditional casement windows in popularity. OMNIA is a perfect example of how we’re constantly pushing ourselves to stay ahead of the evolving demands of the market.
Our large innovation pipeline allows for vast product improvement and development to stay ahead of market demands. The access to research and development through VEKA AG and the worldwide subsidiaries gives us a very broad picture to predict market changes.
The pace of the industry is something I’ve challenged my team to stay ahead of. I’m keen to streamline the creative process and reduce the time it takes for ideas to reach the market by creating new project teams and roles to support delivery.
People are your greatest asset in business, so utilising them effectively is imperative to success.
Looking ahead
The next twelve months will be focused on further innovation and continuing to drive sustainability initiatives. We’re currently working on exciting new product developments, and I’m particularly looking forward to increasing our focus on recycling. Integrating VEKA Recycling with VEKA Plc opens new possibilities for how we handle post-consumer and post-industrial waste, which is more important now than ever.
One personal goal I’ve set for myself this year is to finally replace the 100-year-old windows in my own house with some of VEKA’s high performance frames. The standard A-rating and rigorous testing process should see them stay in for a further 100 years!
