
No stranger to award success, Imperial Roofing Supplies UK Ltd has added to its already extensive collection after triumphing in two categories at the 2023 LeicestershireLive Business Awards. It was successful in the Small Business of the Year category, while Joe Carnan, General Manager, secured the Rising Star Award. It just missed out on a hat-trick, after it was also nominated in the Business of the Year category.
“It’s all quite unbelievable really,” explains Mr Carnan. “I’m delighted that the company has won the awards, as it’s a real pat on the back for the entire team, and to be nominated for the Rising Star Award has come as a complete shock and is really humbling. We’ve won a number of awards over the years so it’s fantastic that we’ve had further success.”
In terms of how this consistency has been achieved, Mr Carnan believes Imperial’s emphasis on customer service has been the key. “We have a very knowledgeable team and are very proactive on training, so are able to fully support the contractors and roofers that come to us and give them the very latest information. We always strive to go above and beyond what’s required in order to deliver our customers with exactly what they require.”
This emphasis on traditional customer-led values stems partly from the fact that since its creation in 1999, Imperial has remained very much a family run company that prides itself on being truly independent. This unique position allows it to give impartial advice, based on years of experience in the building industry.
Based near Syston, Leicestershire, Imperial is able to provide a large range of products from well-known brands, including many exclusive items. Due to the infrastructure it has developed, it is able to sell and deliver to Leicestershire and surrounding counties within the Midlands
Even during the Pandemic, Imperial was able to plough forward, continuously innovating how it operated. Two months before the first lockdown, the company had purchased a new 18 tonne delivery vehicle with crane offload and within the year entered into a new lease on a much larger premises, so ensuring it kept afloat financially was imperative. Rather than just surviving, however, the business has thrived, and in the last 24 months an investment of around £250,000 has been made to further improve productivity and the quality of its customer service.
Despite the growth it has seen recently, Imperial hasn’t been completely challenge-free, with increasing inflation and rising interest rates having impacted the new homes market, with construction in this sector starting to slow. Thankfully the company is fortunate that the majority of its customers operate in the domestic or commercial market, meaning it continues to see opportunities for growth. What’s more, it is also tentatively exploring the possibility of a second site to further support its forward progression.
“A second site somewhere in the Midlands is definitely something we’re looking at for some stage in the future, but in the meantime, we’re remaining fully focused on keeping our existing clients happy and adding new ones to our customer base,” says Mr Carnan. “We’re therefore committed to keeping our standards high by fully supporting our staff to ensure they have the knowledge they need and meet their full potential with us. We’ll also be continuing to add and improve our product range in-line with our customers’ requirements. Having a strong and well-developed supply chain is extremely advantageous to this objective.”
As well as striving to become even stronger from a commercial perspective, Imperial will also be continuing to play an important role in the community, following on with the charity work it has carried out previously. For example, it is a Business Club member of LAMP, a Leicestershire mental health charity, and has sponsored several of its events, including a Walk Around the World 5k Campaign, a Walk to the Moon 5k Campaign and a pool championship.
From an environmental point of view, meanwhile, Imperial has also introduced a number of initiatives in this area too, such as providing a tile and slate collection service for contractors for their projects, ensuring that these tiles and slates do not go to landfill. It is also stocking a substantial volume of reclaimed products for its customers too.”
With such a proactive approach it’s little wonder that Imperial has attracted further award success. With a second site also on the cards, the company’s longer-term prospects also look very bright too.