WV Howe hires former Rational man to signal start of growth plan

WV Howe has fired the starting pistol on a five-year strategic growth plan that will include targeting new industry sectors and adding more in-house services to the business.

The company has just appointed former Rational regional sales manager Kevin Tombs as national sales manager – and his arrival is very much a first step towards achieving its ambitions.

Mr Tombs will assist WV Howe with its existing clients in the education sector, but his main brief will be to generate business within other targeted areas. He’ll be armed with a substantial light equipment portfolio, most of which is stocked at the company’s Kings Norton warehouse in Birmingham.

He’ll also be supported by the company’s technical services division for any scheme work and capital equipment, including service and maintenance contracts.

Grant Shaw, operations manager at WV Howe – Technical Services, said: “Late last year, we all agreed that WV Howe simply required more ‘presence’ within the market, so it was how we went about creating that.

“It was agreed that we needed someone with a sales background – preferably someone who we knew and someone who would not only succeed, but do it the ‘WV Howe way’.

“Since the launch of our technical services division three years ago, turnover has increased across the business so we felt now was the right time to keep that momentum and get someone on board with the necessary skills to help us move even further forward.”

Mr Tombs originally started out as a chef and has significant contract catering expertise in the education sector. He spent seven years at Rational after moving over to the equipment side of the industry.

“His appointment is another piece in our growth plan jigsaw,” explained Mr Shaw. “We have a vision for the business for the next five years which, if it goes to plan, will allow WV Howe to operate in differing sectors across the industry and allow us to keep much of what we offer our clients in-house.

“With Kevin’s skill set we’ve already began this process as our post-installation equipment training, especially on combination steamers, will now be bought in-house. And who better to get advice from than someone with experience on both sides of the fence?” 

WV Howe’s history can be traced all the way back to 1945 when it was established by Water V Howe. It supplies a wide range of catering equipment from utensils and tableware to cookers and dishwashing equipment, carrying a standard stock range of more than 4,000 products at its West Midlands warehouse.

As well as the new appointment, the business is currently reviewing all operational procedures as it lays the foundations for further growth.

“We’re currently working on a bespoke CRM system and have recently approved the design for an additional vehicle which will be built specifically for the needs of our transport team and the equipment we’re supplying,” revealed Mr Shaw.

“This will take away the need to rely on manufacturers delivering heavier or larger items on our behalf which will prove invaluable when delivering to our clients with time and access restrictions.”

Becci Peake, commercial director at WV Howe (main image with Mr Tombs), said: “Kevin will be a great addition to the already close team here at WV Howe. He understands what we want to achieve and where we want to be. It is an exciting time for the business.”