CLADDING & SHEETING
The secret to success lies
in going the extra mile
RCI editor, Nichola Farrugia, sat down with AJW Distribution’s managing director, Alan Woods, to discuss how
far the independently-owned roofing and cladding supplies company has come in 20 years
An empathic understanding
of the real issues affecting
customers, and a practical
approach to solving their
problems, has helped AJW Distribution
to create a sustainable model that helps
the company to weather business tides as
they rise and fall across construction.
“Today, we supply roofing, cladding
and general building materials to a
variety of customers from builders and
contractors, to builders’ merchants and
the general public,” said managing
director Alan Woods.
“The emphasis of our business has
changed over the years with us having
limited product lines available, to us
having a comprehensive range of
products across both industrial and
domestic roofing markets.”
With its 20th anniversary this
year, AJW Distribution has come
a long way from its humble
beginnings as a one-man-band,
where in 1998, it opened its head
office in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire.
“I never dreamt in my wildest dreams,
that 20 years ago, AJW would be so
successful and become such a force in the
East Anglia roofing market,” said Alan.
“Employing 60 members of staff, we have
just completed our best financial year ever.”
In fact, the company’s continued
success and growth over the last 20
years is largely thanks to Alan’s highly
regarded reputation and respected
opinion, following a long serving career
in the world of roofing.
Showing no signs of slowing down,
subsequent expansion has seen AJW
Distribution branches open in Norwich,
Witham, Essex, as well as an office in
Leicester, and a soon to open depot in
Bury St Edmunds this summer.
There are also plans to expand and
open further locations, according to Alan,
who said: “We will be looking to open a
branch further north next year, and we
are currently in the process of looking for
a suitable location.”
Product and business approach
Renowned for having a solid reputation for
specialist knowledge and reliability, Alan
is clear that it’s the company’s customer
service, along with the dedication of all
of AJW’s employees, that have helped the
business grow so successfully.
“As we all know, people buy
from people, and we have great
staff. We’re very mindful that our
customers are busy people and want to
talk to someone who can provide them
with the right solution quickly. And I
think we do that very well,” Alan said.
“We understand our customers’ needs
and go over and above where possible to
give them the advice they need for their
individual projects.”
With a profitable knack of foreseeing
and servicing its customers’ business
needs, AJW’s growth has accelerated in
recent years. So much so, that due to the
continued growth of its customer base, the
company has recognised the need for a
service offering for roofing and cladding
material supplies to customers in Bury St
Edmunds and throughout Suffolk.
“We have seen a gap in the Suffolk
area for several years now, and see a
great opportunity for development
within this county,” said Alan. “Our
Suffolk customer-base has gone from
strength to strength recently, but it
now warrants a local depot to assist in
servicing this area to the standard it
requires.”
Local roofing expert Neil Thompson
has been appointed as the branch
manager at the new Bury St Edmunds
depot. Working in the building industry
since 1980, Neil has a vast amount of
experience in roofing and building
material sales and merchant operations,
according to Alan, who said: “Neil is well
placed to ensure the Bury St Edmunds
branch delivers what the local area needs.
Here at AJW, alongside our new manager
Neil, we are committed to ensuring
our customer-base receives the support
required in today’s volatile market.”
The future’s bright
Looking to the future, Alan feels now
is the time for him to take a step back
from the business and delegate his
responsibility to his three children –
Gareth, Charlotte and Thomas, plus
the company’s ever-growing band of
managers.
“I will still be involved in the
business, but as we employ plenty of
good managers, they should be allowed
to manage,” said Alan. “We are very
lucky to have such a loyal and dedicated
team who are committed to helping the
company develop and grow.”
Alan believes that AJW’s strong
focus on reliability and having a large
stockholding, alongside its commitment
to adapting to the changing needs of
customers, has been the real key to its
success, not just in the past few years, but
over the past 20 years.
w www.ajwdistribution.com
Alan Woods,
managing
director
of AJW
Distribution
34 www.rcimag.co.uk July 2018
/www.ajwdistribution.com
/www.rcimag.co.uk
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