JULY 2019 | 25
Installer Support
Installer Support is
sponsored by Kayflow
NEW FREEFOAM VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
20 YEARS OF CHANGE IN ROOFLINE
Freefoam has released a
video of its Commercial Director,
Colin St John, explaining the big
changes to the roofline market
over the last 20 years, and their
implications for the future.
Having spent the last eighteen
years with Freefoam, Colin has
been a key witness to how the
building industry and the mar-
ket for building products have
changed, particularly in the wake
of the 2008 financial crash and
the turmoil that followed.
Colin explains: “Up to 2008,
the market for building products
followed a traditional, very struc-
tured model, with manufacturers
making and selling products to
stockists, and stockists then dis-
tributing products to the installer
marketplace and homeowners.
kayflow-Advert-149.6x266.4.qxp_Layout 1 21/05/2019 13:12 Page 1
Complete system with bespoke
components for an authentic
cast iron appearance.
After the crash in 2008, several
iconic brands were lost and the
marketplace began to shift. As
people adapted to the changing
market, there was a movement
to a vertically integrated supply
chain, where manufacturers have
their own distribution chan-
nels.”
But Freefoam took a different
path, focusing instead on devel-
oping customer relationships
and adapting its product range
and service offering, rather than
trying to change the market. The
last decade has seen Freefoam
continuing to adapt and revise its
product range, packages and ex-
tending guarantees in response
to customers’ feedback.
Colin continues: “Our main
aim is to grow by helping our
customers grow. At the end of
the day we want customers who
can be our partners in business,
so that’s why we continue to
grow the range, make the prod-
uct more relevant to the current
market, and give our guys the
chance to win business. While I
can understand why some manu-
facturers have pursued a verti-
cally integrated supply chain, the
control exerted over independent
companies isn’t always positive
when you’re trying to influence
their purchasing decision making
process.”
The full video interview is
available now on Freefoam’s
YouTube channel at https://
youtu.be/9q8Rzv3O4zc. For
more information on Freefoam
and helping you grow, visit
www.freefoam.com.
Rainwater, Underground & Soil Systems
01827 317200
www.kayflow.co.uk