In The News
Meet Tony Beach
As a Howe Green customer, it is highly likely that you already know Tony. He is our Technical Sales Manager and has been with the company for 14 years, where he has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in a variety of different roles. Tony works alongside Gary Wills and will advise on your specification and handle the project from initial enquiry right through to delivery. Ask his colleagues what his strengths are and the replies include a positive attitude, excellent technical knowledge and a great sense of humour. When you ask what his weaknesses are though, there seems to be just the one answer coming back – he supports Spurs!
• How long have you been part of the Howe Green team?
I’ve now just clocked up my 14th year with the company. I started work for Howe Green in January 1997 as a trainee estimator. I’ve actually worked across almost all areas of the business over that time and the company supported me through college whilst I studied C&G AutoCAD 2d, 3d and Solid Modelling. I’m now working in sales and have been for the last 9 years so I think I’ve found my ideal place now but my route through the company has given me a rounded view and a complete understanding of the capabilities of our products from specification through to installation on site - that has proven to be invaluable over the years.
• How’s 2011 going so far?
In business terms, the year has got off to a pretty good start actually with Oxford Brookes Library project, Building C starting and the London Bridge Station Development for the Shard Building amongst others. I think it’s often all too easy to get influenced by the doom and gloom surrounding our industry at the moment, but there’s still plenty happening if you’ve got a really good product and are prepared to go the extra mile. For example, as the 2012 Olympic program is coming to an end, Scotland is just starting to hit full speed for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and a lot of money is still being ploughed into construction there. I’m spending more and more time north of the border – literally going the extra mile - and I also have a schedule of CPD seminars for specifiers and contractors in Scotland planned over the next 6 months, which is all good news.
• What’s the biggest thing happening in your life right now?
The big news for me personally is that I’ve just got married – yes it was April 29th. Unfortunately, we didn’t share the venue with Wills and Kate but we had a fantastic day. I was kept pretty busy planning all the final details and set myself the mission of securing flight upgrades, hotel upgrades and champagne on tap etc for our honeymoon on the Caribbean coastline of Mexico – which is where I’ll be when this newsletter goes out!
Once I get back, my mission will then be to get enough business to pay for it all!
• What do you find most rewarding in your current role?
I particularly enjoy the challenge of finding solutions where an off the shelf product doesn’t suffice. Howe Green has always been great at coming up with bespoke designs, cost effectively and in short lead times so I’m confident we have the knowledge and experience to deliver the goods. I don’t mind getting my hands or boots dirty by going on site and providing manufacturing knowledge at that stage and helping to provide a solution that’s acceptable and workable for all involved. I like building good working relationships with architects and contractors, whether it’s for a small domestic project or a multi million pound commercial development. If we can get involved early enough in the schedule, we can often help save money and headaches for our clients later on. A really good working relationship is essential for that to happen.
• Who would your all time dinner party guests be?
That’s quite tricky because it would have to be a big table. I suppose the people I’d be most interested in talking to would have to be involved in sport in one way or another - characters like Alan Sugar or Harry Redknapp. I’d like to know why Lord Sugar bought Spurs and how Harry manages to motivate people individually but also to perform as a team where so many others have failed. I’d invite Sir Clive Woodward and Martin Johnson to hear their individual stories too. From there, I suppose it would be the usual array of people - mostly actresses and mostly blonde!
• Do you spend weekends on the pitch or in the shops?
My days on the pitch are now sadly over but I’m still a member of my old local rugby team, Welwyn RFU and I do spend most Saturday afternoons tearing my hair out either watching or waiting for the full-time result to come through for Spurs. In defence of shopping though, we do have a really good outlet centre close to home in Braintree, so we head that way for a bit of retail therapy every now and again at weekends. I also spend quite a lot of my professional life in various retail centres across the country, so if ever I do find myself in a shopping centre at the weekend, I’m usually checking the floor, walls and ceilings for access hatches rather than shopping!
