Since Construction Industry News last spoke with PE Pipeline Specialists, the company has once again demonstrated high levels of growth, as Paul Evans, Managing Director recently outlined.
“Things are going really well and we’re still very busy having picked up a number of new clients,” says Mr Evans. “We’ve grown by 50 per cent in the last year and I attribute this to our fantastic staff and the high-quality service they help us to provide thanks to their in-depth product knowledge and expertise. This ensures that our existing customers keep coming back, while also ensuring that we’re continually adding to our client list too. We operate in quite a niche industry, so word of mouth plays a very important role.”
As it has grown PE Pipeline Specialists has been careful to continually build the infrastructure to support its development, which is another reason behind its ongoing success and has been a key factor behind its 20-plus years of operation. For instance, it has just invested in two 7.5 tonne vehicles, while it has also added new storage systems to the yard and the warehouse, which has allowed it to increase its stockholding.
“In May 2021 we brought in a new operating system, which allows us to locate all our products and barcode them. When we print an order now, the warehouse receive a picking note that is scanned by a handheld terminal, which then directs them around the warehouse in the most efficient way. This keeps picking errors to an absolute minimum.
“Personnel-wise, we’ve been developing the hierarchy within the company, so we’ve brought in a couple of new levels of management and introduced a HR department as the business has grown,” adds Mr Evans. “To keep the momentum going and build traction further, we’ve also invested strongly on the marketing side of the operation, having taken on a marketing consultant. We underwent something of a rebrand in 2021 to raise the profile of the business. People tend to presume they know what we sell but this isn’t always the case. The more marketing we’ve undertaken, the greater awareness people have about what we can actually provide.”
Aside from developing its fleet and management structure, PE Pipeline Specialists has also been improving its product offering, which has always been an important element behind the growth it has achieved. “We have a really strong core of products and rather than broadening our horizons too much in terms of stock, we have concentrated more on what we’re good at and strengthening in specialist areas to further improve our service levels. Throughout our development we have continued to have really strong links with our suppliers.”
Despite the growth it is continuing to enjoy, PE Pipeline Specialists has not been immune to the challenges that have been affecting all areas of the marketplace, such as rising prices and stock availability issues. “Trying to get hold of certain products was very difficult last year, although the situation has since eased to some extent,” says Mr Evans. “Obviously the price increases we’ve seen right across the board have been another headache. Thankfully we’ve been able to see our way through and secure the products that we need by managing our orders better and taking a longer-term approach. At the same time, we’ve been building on the close working relationships we have with our suppliers.
“Recruitment has been another problem area, as there’s such a shortage of labour within the marketplace at the moment. There’s just so many jobs available at the present time. Thankfully the commitment we have to our employees in terms of training and development means that we enjoy very low staff turnover rates, which in turn means reduces our reliance on new recruits. A happy workforce is a productive workforce. We currently have 24 staff supporting our activities.”
As it is constantly developing its range, PE Pipeline Specialists has been careful to ensure that its staff have the knowledge of the new products it introduces. “One of our main objectives for this year is focused on training. We’re therefore having a strong push on making sure that our staff know everything they possibly can about the products we supply: how they’re installed and what they do. Again, we work with suppliers to help us with this and we’re also working with a local training company as well. We’ve always placed a strong emphasis on training and staff development, particularly when we add to the range, as we pride ourselves on our high levels of product knowledge.”
With a robust product range and well-trained staff, PE Pipeline is now looking to continue to make the most of the opportunities it is seeing within the marketplace, both in sectors it is well established in and within new ones too.
“The majority of our focus is on the housing sector but we’re also continuing to look at diversifying into other areas when appropriate, such as fire protection systems,” says Mr Evans. “We’ve picked up a few nice projects already and we’re keen to build on those.
“For the next 12 months we’re very much focused on continuing what we’re doing by maintaining our high levels of customer service. If we’re able to keep doing that then everything else falls into place: we’ll be able to keep hold of our customers and retain our staff so and everyone’s happy. It’s always been our ethos as a company and it’s a formula that continues to work well. Customer service is at the core of everything we do.”
With so much in its armoury, PE Pipeline Specialists can look forward with confidence as it continues to build on its already impressive standing within the marketplace.