June/July 2020

Article Customer Service
HANDS-ON MANAGEMENT TEAM
Georgian Bar Company director, Phil Dewhurst Jr, talks about how he and Phil Sr kept the
deliveries going throughout Covid-19 lockdown, and the extra preparation they’ve made to
keep their team safe as they return to work.
Father and son directors for the Georgian
Bar Company, Phil and Phil Dewhurst Jr,
have worked to keep getting orders out to
customers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commercial director Phil Dewhurst Jr says: “As
expected, most customers were shut from the end
of March and April’s sales were slow but steady.
We had a few UK customers that didn’t shut
completely and still needed products, and some
large orders to India needed to be dispatched.
To protect our staff, Dad and I have carried out
the tasks of five of our furloughed team including
order picking, warehousing and distribution,
technical support, sales order processing,
customer care and our main responsibilities for
purchasing, sales and management!
“To reduce any potential supply chain delays
caused by Covid-19, we upped our orders from
suppliers to increase stock levels by 20%. It
meant that we had enough in our warehouse for
customers’ orders, and we weren’t waiting on
deliveries coming in to us.
“May also saw us win a prestigious new contract
to supply the Geofast bars where the patented
clip was the key to securing the order, as the
windows are high up and the developers can’t
afford any risk of bars falling off.
“The first week of June has seen the vast majority
of our customers back in operation in some
capacity. We have seen a steady stream of orders
from most of our key fabricator accounts and we
are moving closer towards three quarters of our
normal volumes for this time of year. We also
secured a new systems company who will be
adopting our Geofast range in the coming weeks.
For the most part it appears the industry recovery
has started.
“For the most part it
appears the industry
recovery has started”
“It was important to talk to customers, even when
their factories were shut throughout lockdown.
It gave Dad and I a clear picture of what was
coming through and how they were planning to
reopen. This meant we knew in advance when
they needed products and we could make sure
they could get what they needed, when they
needed it.
“We have taken the worldwide lockdown as an
opportunity to pause sales in the USA. This gives
us a chance to retool and refine our product range
there. And, after the latest deliveries to India, they
have the products they require as they get back to
manufacturing post lockdown.
“With plenty of orders going out of the warehouse,
and fewer demands on our time for business
meetings and business events and networking,
It’s a family affair: Father and son duo Phil and Phil Dewhurst Jr
have worked to fulfil customers’ orders throughout the pandemic
Dad and I have enjoyed the time we’ve spent
together. Going back to the practical, hands-on
side of the business again meant we could see
where we could improve, and we have taken
time out to reorganise the warehouse and create
new processes to give customers an even better
service in the future. It’s been great working with
Dad and we have complementary skills, so we
were able to do everything needed to keep the
deliveries going.”
Phil adds: “For the Georgian Bar company team,
we have put in place additional handwashing and
toilet facilities as well as care packs and social
distancing measures. We will start bringing the
team back as sales continue to grow and we start
getting more demands on our time. June looks
to be very promising, not pre-lockdown levels of
sales but it feels like we are building back to that
in a meaningful way.”
Contact The Georgian Bar Company:
01772 631441
geofast.co.uk
@geofastsystem
22 T F JUNE/JULY 2020 CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN