Following a transition of change, Merridale would like to introduce you to their sales team. Since August 2020, the team has been settling into their new positions and dynamics, after Paul Russell took the role of National Sales Manager.
When discussing how the team had adapted, Sales Director Stephen Hannan said “I am very pleased with the performance of the current Sales team. Having been with Merridale for several years, Paul is now leading the team and continuing to uphold the Merridale ethos of offering customers equipment of the highest standards and at competitive prices.”
“It has always been the Merridale way to ensure that only the best advice is given to fleet operators. Customers can be confident that in choosing Merridale they will be purchasing products that are built to last, that produce reliable and accurate reports, and have continuity of design and performance. I am very confident that Paul and the team will continue to work this way.”
“As for myself, I have now transferred much of my day-to-day responsibilities over to Paul. As a director of the company, I hope to continue in a consultancy role within the company for as long as I am able. Having worked in this industry for almost 50 years, I have enjoyed working for a dedicated, honest, and hardworking company such as Merridale, and it has been an immense pride to me since I joined way back in 2006.”
Paul Russell – National Sales Manager
I spent my first 4 years at Merridale as a front-line Sales Engineer, joining Stephen Hannan’s team. After being mentored and supported directly by Stephen, I have now been personally involved in over 500 projects. With each job being different from the next, I have gained an invaluable degree of experience.
As National Sales Manager, I lead and support the sales and marketing staff members here at Merridale. Ultimately, our goal is to achieve the business targets as set by the board through securing orders for new equipment, upgrades, and service contracts. However, it is how we achieve this that is important.
Merridale have a respected reputation in the industry for providing the highest quality products with a second to none service. From the very start of the enquiry process, we do our utmost to ensure that our client’s requirements are met with the most suitable package for the best possible prices. Merridale have always excelled in consulting on each requirement thoroughly and making a calculated recommendation to the customer. If we continue this holistic approach to providing fuel management solutions, I am convinced we will maximise our success.
Many things set Merridale apart from the competition, not least of all the exceptional build quality. We manufacture our equipment, pumps, fuel management systems, and tank management systems from our factory in Wolverhampton, and even the software is written in-house. So, when we offer a fuel management solution, we offer a true OEM-supported package of the highest standard.
The Sales team at Merridale has a great mix of experience and talent. Stephen Hannan (Sales Director) and Kathy Withers (Contracts Manager) have held several roles within the industry over the years and I have leaned on their wealth of knowledge a great deal. We also have brand new additions to the industry in Luke Genner (Sales Engineer) and Matt Sidaway (Marketing & Communications) who have brought fresh skills and energy with them from previous roles and have settled in perfectly.
I have absolute trust in my sales team at Merridale and share a self-motivated approach with all of them. The last couple of years have been extremely challenging for UK industry and employees but the attitude of the Sales team at Merridale has remained nothing but positive. With the confidence of having fantastic, reliable, and market-leading products and services behind us (a testament to the wider Merridale team), the sales team have an endless opportunity to take advantage of and I am lucky to be leading that team over the coming years.
Luke Genner – Sales Engineer
I Joined Merridale just over two years ago, learning on the job at first with my predecessor, John Browne, who many in the industry will have known or heard of. As my background was not in the fuelling industry, it was a challenge that I embraced.
I obtained great knowledge from John and Stephen who have had many years of experience in fuel management and am now heavily involved in many large projects with Merridale.
I predominantly cover the south of the UK, taking customers from the enquiry stage to project completion, providing site visits, quotations, and advice along the way based on the customers’ requirements.
Within Merridale there is no hard selling. We don’t use any pushy or forceful sales techniques; we choose to listen to the needs of the customer and put forward proposals to ensure they are making the best investment choices possible.
Merridale have a long-standing reputation for being the premium name in the fuel management industry. This is due, in part, to us using the best quality materials and not opting for cheaper alternatives. It can also be noted that Merridale have many customers that have had their Merridale unit for over 20 years and, with regular servicing, it is still operating the same way it did from day one.
The best thing about my role is getting out of the office and meeting potential and existing customers to better understand their requirements. There is not just one system that fits all, each job is completely different and should be treated as such.
Kathy Withers – Contracts Manager
After being made redundant from Gilbarco in 2006, I joined Merridale Ltd and have been a part of the team ever since. Having also previously worked in the same industry at PM Services and Avery Berkel, I have gained a wealth of experience over 30 years in the commercial fuelling equipment market.
At Merridale Ltd, I am the contracts manager and sales administrator, which covers a wide variety of responsibilities to support the sales director and two sales engineers. Part of my role is to ensure that all proposals to customers are clear, understandable, and precise. I am also responsible for the upkeep of the Merridale extended warranty scheme, which has grown enormously over the years to provide customers with all the comforts that they had with their original purchase.
Matt Sidaway – Marketing & Communications
I joined Merridale around the same time as Luke, so just over two years ago, to bring more of their marketing and advertising in-house.
With a background in copywriting, a lot of my role consists of writing customer stories which enables me to get out and meet recent and long-term customers. For me, not only is this good for content but it is also a great opportunity to speak to the customer about how they found everything from their initial contact with us through to installation, and even more so how things have been since.