In January, we welcomed Sam Myatt, our new Area Sales Manager for the North West, West Midlands and Wales to the team. With over 5 years’ experience in a technical capacity in relation to external wall insulation and rainscreen facades, Sam joins Permarock at an exciting time and he’s keen to play a key role in our continuing growth.
In this Q&A, we take the opportunity to get to know him better.
Q. Now you have been with us for a few months, how do you think that Permarock is perceived in the wider market?
There’s no question that Permarock is seen as a market leader within the industry. This is likely due to the company’s longevity, its customer-driven mindset and, perhaps most importantly, its technical prowess, which I think is highly respected by specifiers, designers and contractors alike.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about your previous role?
In my previous role, I learnt how to specify systems to best cater to client requirements. I was fortunate enough to enrol on a masters degree course - in Architectural Technology & Design – and this has helped me to think around tricky design challenges and to work well with all relevant stakeholders. Looking ahead, I think those are skills that will definitely help contribute to my efforts in helping Permarock clients and supply chain partners get the most from their projects.
Q. That leads us nicely to a related question: your role encompasses both sales and technical elements. How do you feel the two disciplines overlap?
I think all of the the best sales people have a really detailed understanding of the products they sell. It not only gives confidence to clients; it allows me to answer questions ‘on the spot’, meaning that client meetings are very efficient, and designs can be completed in good time. Because of my background, I also understand the hurdles associated with planning and how Permarock can best help in getting projects through Gateway 2. I believe this level of knowledge in the sales team gives Permarock a definite advantage, and important benefits that it can pass on to its customers.
I very quickly picked up on how important technical backup was to the way Permarock operates. Our wider technical support and our technical services departments provide an unrivalled level of detail and support to our customer base; something Permarock has prided itself on for over 40 years.
Q. How do you see the role of EWI suppliers evolving in the decarbonisation industry?
One thing my previous experience brought home was that EWI is still not widely understood in sufficient detail by all stakeholders. As a result, it often falls to us to help scheme designers fill in a lot of the blanks by providing clear and concise information and documentation. So the role includes an interesting mix of education and technical support – and I think that’s going to be increasingly important over the coming years.
Permarock is a great example of how this can be done effectively: we like to be involved at the earliest possible stage so we can understand the key drivers for the scheme, the client’s vision, and how the outputs can be put into practice. We want to make the greatest possible difference to peoples lives, whether they live, work or study in a building, or whether they're receiving healthcare services there. We can provide a host of support, including visualisations for retrofit projects, standard and bespoke detailing, U-Value calculations and condensation risk analyses, specifications and samples, as well as detailed aftercare and maintenance advice. This all drives towards a better, industry-wide understanding of EWI and of how it can best be used.
What I really like is that Permarock carries the support through the whole project. Its Registered Installers ensure that work is carried out to a high standard, and our on-site Technical Services team is always on hand to help with any tricky issues.
Q. In your new role at Permarock, what do you hope to achieve?
I aim to grow my regional area and work closely with specifiers, main contractors and installers to ensure that the best possible systems are being put forward and delivered. Like everyone in the company, I want to ensure that clients’ buildings are clad in high-quality, fully compliant materials. I also want to raise brand awareness even further by emphasising the customer benefits that only a really technically adept, experienced business like Permarock can deliver.