FIT SHOW 2016
MAKING FRIENDS AT FIT
Window and door trade counter supplier, Truemans, exhibited
for the first time at the FIT Show this year and they certainly
got the whole place ‘Perked’ up with a distinctive stand.
»»The company got the people’s vote for
its distinctive stand, the ‘Truemans Coffee
House,’ which was designed along the lines
of the famous New York Central Perk coffee
house from the hit 90s TV series, Friends.
The aim was to create a welcoming, warm
and relaxed atmosphere where people could
gather, relax and have a hot drink with friends
or business contacts.
Truemans, who started out manufacturing
20 years ago using Selecta profile, took the
decision to stop fabricating five years ago
and buy-in Rehau, Halo and Spectus frames,
along with composite doors, conservatory
roofs, bi-folds, and timber alternative PVCu
windows.
Today, Truemans is a rapidly expanding
trade counter business overseen by
managing director Joe Trueman - who is only
30 - and the Truemans team.
So successful has the company’s business
model been that they now sell over 1,000
frames a week, are able to offers free skip
use, provide a delivery service and full
marketing support, along with selling fixings
and packers at its Trade Counters.
In addition to the Burnley branch, the
business opened a trade counter in Sheffield
in 2012, followed by another in Doncaster
in 2013. This year it opened a fourth trade
counter in Crewe, the biggest one to date at
7,200 sq ft, with great success.
The counters supply quality products and
consumables to installers, local builders,
joiners and DIY customers around the north
of England. Frames, glass, panels, composite
doors, conservatory roofs, trims, silicone,
fixings and cleaners are all supplied.
Without the pressures of manufacturing,
Truemans is free to focus on customers.
Joe Trueman said: “We offer a huge range
of systems and colour options and can add
new products hassle free, in-line with industry
trends to help customers capitalise on lucrative
markets. We buy in high volumes of frames
meaning we can pass on trade discounts,
saving customers money on every job.
“We no longer install products ourselves
so we aren’t competing with installers for
business. Instead, we aim to help them
find new customers in their area by giving
them the best possible service and offering
comprehensive marketing support.”
The marketing support is personalised with
a bespoke brochure, ten drop cards, a product
guarantee, maintenance guide and energy
certificate. Other marketing materials can also
be provided such as business cards, key rings,
websites, van design, flyers, posters, digital
display and even uniform design.
The
Truemans
FIT Show
stand with its orange
sofa,
rotating coffee cup and live streaming Twitter
wall proved a real focus. There was also
a giant TV with a show reel of photos and
videos, plus a magazine stand complete with
Truemans’ FIT Show newspaper. The stand
concept grew out of the idea that window
fitters and installers are offered free hot
drinks at Truemans trade counters to start or
end their busy working days.
Nicola Stevens, marketing support
manager, said: “All our suppliers and
products were already at the show, so we
thought what do our customers or potential
customers really want from us? The concept
was to just encourage people stop and hang
out with us for a while.
“We didn’t want our stand to be like other
stands, and we wanted to set ourselves
apart with our customer service ethos. We
want installers to know that we will try and
help support them through the bad times
as well as the good. The stand we created
was about injecting some personality. And
it seems to have worked – we had a lot of
fun chatting to visitors who came on the
stand.”
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