The grunt and grind of professional rugby league may not be everyone’s half time orange, but as a player for over 10 years in this male maelstrom, Adrian Goodall of Herts- based A Plus Joinery in Harpenden knows what kind of graft and commitment it takes to get over the business try-line. It’s this kind of dedication to excellence that also ensures that A Plus Joinery only deal with quality, reliable suppliers like AkzoNobel.
After his 10-year spell at the ‘business end’ of professional rugby with likes of Halifax and Cardiff, Adrian Goodall’s career path moved into stonemasonry where he then built up a score of successful building companies. Following a number of years seeking to purchase a good joinery business Adrian Goodall, through the Watford- based Stillwater Group, made the acquisition of A Plus joinery in 2015.
Adrian Goodall commented, “in essence I’m really a stonemason with a deep passion for the older style of traditional vernacular buildings, in particular the Georgian period. I’m still learning about joinery. My background is building and I had been looking for three years to buy a quality joinery business”. Adrian went on to add, “It was immediately apparent that the quality of the workmanship at A Plus Joinery was of the highest standard. I wanted to re-structure the business to bring it more in line with modern management techniques which would really get the business flying”. A Plus Joinery would now see regular production meetings and the organisation of the work-flow would be smoother and more focused. It’s this concentration that would lend itself to Adrian ensuring that Blackburn-based AkzoNobel would be supplying a line of high-end, reliable products to guarantee that the levels of excellence would be consistent.
Carl Circus, UK Distribution Manager, AkzoNobel Wood Coatings said, “A Plus Joinery have been a good, loyal customer for many years. As well as supplying all their product needs, we offer a full back-up advice service regarding all technical aspects of design, build, coating, installation and maintenance of the joinery they produce”
Adrian Goodall continued to comment, “We recently supplied a new client who was developing a large detached house in the Whipsnade area. He wanted an existing number of Meranti redwood products on the structure to be a lighter oak colour. Carl Circus from AkzoNobel came to a meeting and suggested their Sikkens Cetol WF 952 product”. Adrian adds.” We were also able to use a new water-based dipping system prior to Sikkens Cetol WF 952 to create the desired look and finish. Our client wanted a satin sheen finish, not a gloss. He also wanted to highlight the grain in the timber. The Sikkens Cetol WF 952 system did this perfectly”.
CETOL® WF 952 is a satin sheen joinery product that provides a spray applied translucent mid and top coat for exterior wooden joinery components. offering the highest level of UV protection and long-term elasticity.
Carl Circus also added, “We also offer a high quality colour matching service and samples-both applied and liquid- to enable companies like A Plus Joinery to get their particular project just right. We also back this up by providing them with promotional items, sales folders, colour cards and literature that they can utilise for their own client’s requirements”.
Adrian Goodall further comments, “We are a direct client of AkzoNobel and this relationship works superbly for us. Nothing is too much trouble for them. Their customer service is second to none and their technical expertise is the best around. We’ve tried various other suppliers but none are as good”. Adrian Goodall adds, “We love AkzoNobel products. As far as we’re concerned we’ll always use their products. To be honest when you get this kind of service and back-up why go elsewhere? Simply put, they supply the quality that we and our clients demand”.
The A Plus Joinery story has now happily rumbled on to manifest itself in a degree of controlled expansion with the business growing from 12 to 17 staff, which includes two new apprentices…and that’s in just six months. It’s a tale of nurturing new talent where the school bench skills are then honed by the A Plus Joinery team to produce the craftsmen and women of the future. Adrian Goodall finally comments, “you can’t beat hand-crafted joinery made by people with passion and commitment. I don’t want a factory full of robots churning out mass produced products”.
Carl Circus finally commented, “One of our key strengths is that we’re able to supply on-going maintenance and redecoration products after installation and throughout the life cycle of the joinery. This fits perfectly with the advised regular maintenance schedule companies like A Plus Joinery recommend to their customers”.
AkzoNobel is a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. Calling on centuries of expertise, they supply industries and consumers worldwide with innovative products and sustainable technologies designed to meet the growing demands of our fast-changing planet.
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