16 January 2020
What is your job title?
Sales Manager (Peel Ports Group)
How long have you worked for Peel Ports?
7 months
Tell us about your career to date
I’ve recently moved from a position with a leading agricultural merchant. I was responsible for sales across a broad portfolio of agricultural commodities including fertiliser, grain and seed.
A major part of the job was establishing collaborative relationships with farmers, internal networks and suppliers. I also developed a deep technical understanding of grain trading and crop production, with particular interest and skill in the fertiliser industry (plant nutrition).
I have made it my passion to understand my customers’ businesses and the challenges they face. Using my commercial and technical expertise, I helped to increase my customers annual income from farming by thousands of pounds by providing advice on when to buy inputs, what variety of wheat would deliver best yield results and using risk management tools with client’s grain marketing.
I’m looking forward to implementing these skills and my knowledge of North West logistics supply chains to help my customers drive growth in my new role at Peel Ports.
What does your role entail and how does this add value to the business?
The ultimate goal of my role is to drive financial growth for the business on the front line. I cover the area of Merseyside so my main focus is to increase the revenue for the business in the Port of Liverpool and on the Manchester Ship Canal.
This can be achieved in many ways but I believe the best way to grow business is to grow the relationships within my network, internally and externally. My aim is to achieve this in several ways.
The first is by developing an in-depth knowledge of the operational processes, challenges and opportunities of North West ports in Peel’s portfolio, from Liverpool to Salford Quays, and my colleagues who deliver the service to our customers every day.
Secondly, I will ensure I provide top level service to my customers by setting up quarterly review meetings to ensure agreements are up to date, reacting to enquiries and requests for quotes for services in a timely manner and collating feedback on the service we provide.
Finally, I’m researching and establishing positive connection’s with new businesses who export/ import or move goods around the North West to establish how we can add value to their logistics operations.
I hope to offer potential customers in-depth advise on how they can use the waterways within their strategic business plan to create an efficient and sustainable supply chain.
What do you enjoy most about your role? How does this benefit your customers etc?
I love the opportunity my role offers to develop personally by learning about different companies, their supply chains and approach to business. It’s really interesting to find out the materials and processes involved as it helps to paint a picture of how every business contributes to the UK and global economy and feeds the desire to understand how everything is connected.
It’s rewarding to use my contacts and knowledge of connected supply chains to be involved in helping find resolutions to challenges faced by my customers, put together business strategies or just generally help to improve sustainability and profitability.
What should customers/agents come to you for?
I’d really like to hear from new businesses looking to enter the UK or international markets and require logistical assistance or storage space to achieve this.
I’m particularly keen to speak to those in the agricultural industry who want to learn more about how Peel Ports can help their supply chain.
Lastly, any business in the North West that thinks the Manchester Ship Canal can service their supply chain should give me a call and we can explore their options for using this unique ‘green highway’.
What are you looking forward to most working for Peel Ports?
The North West is one of the most exciting regions in the UK so I’m looking forward to being involved in the strategic growth plan, using my knowledge and contacts to ensure that the supply chains servicing Manchester, Liverpool and surrounding towns are as efficient and sustainable as possible.