Polypipe Ventilation has been reborn as Domus Ventilation, with a larger sales network, new branding, and a new management and customer services team. PEW looks at what role the wholesale industry has to play in its future plans.
Before being purchased by the Polypipe Group in 1998, Domus was a company name known for ventilation ducting for the domestic and light commercial markets. The Domus name lived on as a brand for Polypipe’s ducting products, whilst other product lines were developed with their own distinct branding. With the first stage completed in a major re-evaluation and restructuring of the company, the decision was made to re-launch the company under the new name of Domus Ventilation.
“It is well known and directly associated with many positive attributes in the domestic ventilation sector.” States Sales Director, Stephen Smith. “And with advanced mechanical ventilation systems becoming increasingly popular and more electricians and contractors adding this to their list of services, we aim to establish the Domus name as a quality product within the electrical sector, which suits the direction we are taking for new products and services moving forward.”
Rebrand
The first stage in the creation of Domus Ventilation has included a new visual identity and corporate colour, a new product catalogue and user-friendly website with full product listings and technical information.
The company, all staff and manufacturing, has moved to modern premises in Caerphilly, South Wales. The advanced manufacturing facilities include 10,891m2 of manufacturing area which houses state-of-the-art machinery, capable of lights-out operation for maximum efficiency.
Added value
Domus Ventilation’s move into the electrical market is being further supported through quarterly wholesaler promotions and a free of charge design service. The latest promotion to run features discounts on ducting and ducting grilles. Customers can send their project details to Domus and in return will receive a free of charge design in AutoCAD or Revit along with a full bill of materials upon design completion. Ongoing technical support is also provided during installation.
“With ventilation systems becoming more sophisticated and with a wide range of control options, the traditional market demarcations for these products are becoming blurred” comments Stephen. “Whereas this was often the realm of a plumber or builder, electricians are entering this market space. We see this as a growth area and are fully supportive, building a team to work with electrical wholesalers and provide incentives to use our product. The team has already made headway, establishing good relationships with a number of wholesalers. The feedback has been really positive as it appears ventilation manufacturers have generally not had much personal involvement in this field. It’s our intention to change that and provide a high level of personal support and relationship building.”
Wholesale Focus:
A dedicated team to promote Domus Ventilation’s full range of energysaving domestic ventilation systems through electrical wholesalers has also been established. The new team consists of six Area Distribution Reps and three Key Account Managers covering England, Scotland and Wales. Their primary role is to introduce wholesalers to the full range of Domus Ventilation products, from ducting through to extract fans and whole house mechanical systems.
They will also set up stock holding and ensure wholesalers are in a position to meet customer demand being generated by Domus sales and marketing activities. They are also responsible for distributing point of sale material.
For further information on Domus Ventilation, contact: vent.info@domusventilation.co.uk or visit: www.domusventilation.co.uk
