An interview with Derek Scott – Head of UK Sales – at Atexor Ltd

Since opening up the UK branch of Atexor, Derek Scott our Head of Sales UK has been driving this arm of the business forward. Following a string of contract wins, the UK division has recently expanded its team with the appointment of a new Regional Sales Manager and continues to grow from strength to strength. We have taken this opportunity to find out more about Derek and Atexor UK.

1)     What were you previously doing before joining Atexor?

Prior to joining the business, I have worked in various positions over the last 25 years in the construction industry. I have always worked in sales – something that I certainly enjoy – and certainly have a passion for.

Before moving over to what I call the ‘dark side’ – the oil and gas industry – I was MD within the UK for a Finnish timber window and door manufacturing company.

Launching Atexor Ltd during the downturn of the oil industry was particularly difficult, however I love a challenge and it was absolutely the right move for Atexor to firm its roots in the UK.

2)     Why did you choose to work for the company?

Having previously worked for a Finnish company, I was head hunted by Atexor’s Finance Manager and my name was put forward to our MD for me to head up Atexor’s UK division.

After speaking to the MD, Johannes and through doing my own due diligence on the company I could see that they are a business with a rich history within the UK and a company going places with excellent products.

Having experienced the Finnish culture and mentality, I had a great understanding of the expectations that would be involved and could see how I could clearly fit within the business and play my role in driving the UK division forward.

3)     Since joining the company you have done a lot of training, could you please let me know what this has involved?

The training and development programme offered by Atexor is second to none. When I initially joined the business, I went over to Finland to do training in the manufacturing facilities where I received first hand training of the manufacturing process involved with our products – which included getting my hands dirty – as well as receiving training in each department. All members of staff in the business do this so they fully understand the features and benefits of our products.

Most recently Andy, our newly appointed regional manager in the UK spent a week at Atexor’s production facilities learning the ropes. Being very technically minded, Andy picked everything up extremely quickly!

Training is very much an ongoing process and all staff are actively encouraged to engage in any training that they deem to be relevant in achieving their own goals.

4)     How has this hands-on training approach helped your customers?

It’s extremely beneficial in that if a customer asks a technical question, you know exactly how the product is assembled and all of its components, meaning you can provide customers with technical expertise easily. Having that first-hand knowledge is absolutely invaluable and certainly something that we believe sets Atexor apart from other companies as each individual in the business fully understands all of our products. Knowledge is empowering and Atexor encourages all staff to continue to learn.

5)     You head up the sales team in the UK, what does this involve?

Although I’m Head of Sales, I pretty much get involved in all aspects of running the company here in the UK, and I really enjoy having such a vast role. From operations and invoicing right through to managing staff, the role is all encompassing.

I have regular communication with key management at Atexor’s head office in Finland via a video sales meeting which is held every Monday morning and despite not being in the same country, we are a very tight-knit team.

6)     What do you think makes Atexor stand out in the UK market?

Atexor products have been sold into the UK for the past 20 years, albeit under our distributors name, however Atexor always have been the actual manufacturer. Now having a presence in the

UK with a base both in Aberdeen and in Norwich is ideal, meaning we can sell directly to customers.

Within that period most people using EX portable lighting equipment will have come across our range of SLAM® and/or Hornet brand names and our customers say that they are the ‘Rolls Royce’ of products within our industry.

We don’t just sell products; our strength is working closely with our customers to find their pain points and identify exactly what they need. For us, it is important to get the right product to fit the individual requirements. This is how we have been successful in forging long term relationships with our clients as we really get under the skin of their requirements.

7)     What is the most popular product in the UK market?

Our SLAM® Hornets are by far the most popular product within the UK with tens of thousands of them being out there in the marketplace. This is because our customer base generally already has an awareness of this great product through our previous distributor and know the benefits of these. We are however starting to see an increasing amount of orders for other products that we offer as customers are becoming more aware of our extensive range.

8)     How many customers do you currently have in the UK?

We currently have access to the majority of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 oil and gas companies and we are selling directly and indirectly into hundreds of companies within this sector.

Being based in Aberdeen and with a presence across the whole country places us in an ideal position to deliver our solutions to the oil and gas sector. We do however also provide our products to customers within other sectors including petrochemical, pharmaceutical and aviation.

9)     Will Atexor Ltd be exhibiting at any upcoming events?

Yes, we are looking forward to exhibiting at The Tank Storage Conference and Exhibition at Ricoh arena in Coventry in September. As the leading event for the bulk liquid storage sector we hope to meet key players and share with them our excellent product range, as well as participate in knowledge sharing, which is always important at events.

We have already booked to exhibit at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen in September next year, which will be a big event for us – so watch this space for more info on that!

10)  What are Atexor Ltd’s plans for the next 12 months?

Over the last few months we have expanded our team in the UK, including the appointment of a new Regional Sales Manager predominately covering the South of England. This has already proven successful in giving us greater geographical coverage. Working across the whole of the UK, we do have plans to expand the team even further.

Our goal is to continue to fulfill the needs of our existing client base through continuing to provide our long-lasting products that are fit for purpose, whilst also growing our client base and spreading the word further about our robust portable EX-lighting and power distribution systems.

It is an exciting time at Atexor as we also offer custom designed solutions by which we are creating new products – that are fit for purpose – to solve increasingly complex challenges faced by our clients that are operating in harsher environments. Our technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities really sets Atexor apart to jointly develop unique products which we are looking forward to seeing more of over the next 12 months.

If you would like to chat to Derek and find out directly more about Atexor UK, please feel free to email him at derek.scott@atexor.co.uk.