Pictured: HPP’s Deputy MD Gareth Evans (left) welcomes new national sales manager Darren Booth
Leading KBB manufacturer and supplier, Hill’s Panel Products (HPP), has appointed Darren Booth as its new national sales manager.
He joins the Oldham-based firm from one of its suppliers and looks forward to immersing himself in the ‘culture of the business’.
Darren has worked in sales for more than 20 years, starting his career with Sykes Distribution in Middleton selling kitchen door handles. He then moved into selling consumables for Germany-based Wurth, where he worked for 17 years.
Speaking about his move to HPP, he says: “I always got a great vibe about the place in all the 18 months I was dealing with Hill’s before coming here and I felt welcome from my very first meeting about this role.
“My first priority is to get into the culture, the DNA. I want to work with everyone as a team. I think everybody has a voice and an opinion and that should be heard.
“Every company needs growth and every company evolves, the products evolve, the people evolve, so we have to evolve in a steady and sustainable way. There’s no reason why we can’t do that and do it with a smile on our faces with the culture we have here.
“We’re investing in people, sales and products and we’re never going to stand still. I feel that coming here has re-lit a candle in me.”
Darren takes charge of HPP’s nationwide network of reps and one of his first tasks will be to welcome two new members of his team starting soon.
HPP has been manufacturing and supplying board, doors, fittings and accessories for the fitted furniture industry, particularly kitchens and bedrooms, for the past 33 years. As well as its HQ in Oldham, it has a trade counter in Sheffield.
Speaking about the KBB industry, Darren adds: “It’s tough, there’s no doubt about that. But we can overcome that by listening to our customers’ challenges, and that applies internally as well, you don’t know what people are going through.
“Some of our customers are struggling but we’re there to help them – we’ll help them in the good times but also in the bad times as well and that’s testament to what this business is built on.”
The son of former Manchester City centre half Tommy Booth, father-of-three Darren played for several clubs himself, including City, as a teenager before injury cut short any hopes of a career as a dashing winger.
