Mark Loveland new midlands based business development manager
Children’s wear and hosiery brand, Pex has announced the appointment of Mark Loveland to the full-time position of regional business development manager for the Midlands and north region.
The appointment follows the retirement of David Hall, who worked for the brand for nine years. Mark Loveland brings over 25 years experience of the clothing sector to his new position including 14 years with knitwear companies Tanya and the Tulchan Group and two years with shirt specialist Peter England. Prior to joining Pex he also worked for hosiery brand H. J. Hall where he was responsible for its corporate accounts.
Mark Loveland joins Pex’s team of seven full-time regional business development managers, who between them take the Pex children’s clothing and hosiery ranges to over 1,500 independent retailers throughout the UK and Eire. He will be responsible for supporting customers and developing new business in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, North Birmingham, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.
Commenting on his appointment Mark Loveland said: “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to join the Pex team, where I can continue to build on the success of the brand across the Midlands and North.” He added: “I have already met the friendly and committed team at the Leicestershire office and been initiated into the diverse Pex range. I am looking forward to working with all our retailers across the region.”
Paul Rich, national sales manager, Pex went on to say: “Mark brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to our national sales team and is already contributing invaluable new business. Unusually for our sector we are committed to maintaining our full-time sales and support team because we strongly believe it is the best way of responding to customers’ business and buying requirements.”
Mark Loveland lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two sons. In his spare time he enjoys cycling, running and hill walking in the nearby Peak District.
Pex launches into 2009 with new appointment
Children’s wear and hosiery brand, Pex has launched into the new year with the appointment of Mike Lyons to the full-time position of regional Business Development Manager for Northern Ireland and Northern Eire.
Mike Lyons will join Pex’s team of seven full-time regional Business Development Managers, who between them take the Pex children’s clothing and hosiery ranges to over 1,500 independent retailers throughout the UK and Eire.
Commenting on his appointment Mike Lyons said: “Securing a full-time sales position in these challenging economic times is a wonderful opportunity. I plan to build on the remarkable success of my predecessor by giving existing customers the product and support they need whilst introducing some of my established contacts to the extensive Pex offer.” He added: “I have met the Pex team in Leicester and visited its impressive warehouse and distribution centre and cannot wait to take the latest ranges back to retailers in Northern Ireland and Northern Eire.”
Paul Rich, national sales manager, Pex went on to say: “Our customers are facing difficult times and we have to do whatever we can to support them and give them the products they can sell. We have already seen a change in buying behaviour, with a
reduction in forward orders but an increase in buying ‘in-season’. With our massive warehouse and stocks we are able to respond to this trend and deliver what our customers want, when they actually want them.”
Mike Lyons, who is married and lives in Bangor, is an ardent rugby supporter in his spare time.
Founded in Leicester in 1914 Pex returned to UK ownership in 2004 after a successful management buy out, led by the company’s current executive team. Pex is the UK’s leading children’s sock and tight brand, with over 50 per cent of the children’s branded hosiery market. It maintains the largest stock of children’s hosiery in the UK with over one million pairs of socks and tights available from the brand’s Midland’s based distribution centre. In addition to hosiery Pex branded products include school uniform, baby wear, special occasion wear such as christening gowns and a huge selection of accessories including baby shoes and bibs. Pex brand products are currently sold to over 1,500 retailers throughout the UK and Eire in addition to export customers in Scandinavia, Hong Kong, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Pex launches new website for retail independents
Children’s wear and hosiery brand, Pex, has launched a new web site aimed specifically at improving the service to its 1,500 independent retail customers nationwide. The new site www.Pex-kids.com will hold details of all Pex products held in stock including its kids’ back-to-school and fashion hosiery, school uniforms, special occasion wear, baby wear, fashion clothing, swim wear, soft and first walker shoes and baby accessories. Existing retail customers will be able to access the site via a special customer code to browse the latest ranges, place orders and get information on special customer offers. Non-Pex customers can browse the site but will be denied access to wholesale price lists, special offers and the facility to place orders on-line. Crucially the web site has been designed to support the personalised service provided by Pex’s seven full-time business development managers based throughout the UK and Eire.
The user-friendly site can only be fully accessed by existing Pex retail customers. All Pex customers will be issued with their unique user code which will give them direct access to over one million products held in the company’s 36,000 square foot stock and distribution centre in Leicester. Customers can elect to order on-line or request their regional Pex representative to bring their product choice to their store for final selection. The web site will support the sales team’s existing seasonal customer visits. Pex is one of the only independent children’s wear specialists to maintain its commitment to its team of seven full-time regional business development managers.
Paul Rich, national sales manager, Pex Kids Limited explained: “We have noticed more of our customers are electing to order closer to and in-season. The new web site gives them an easy way to order exactly the product they want from stock for immediate delivery. And if the product is new to them and they want to see it before committing to an order we can arrange this via our established and knowledgeable sales force. “
He concluded: “We are adding new products to our ranges all the time and the fastest way to let our customers have details of our latest offers is via the web site. In these difficult economic times it is vital our customers get the right product in their stores quickly.”
The Pex web site was developed by Cite, www.cite.co.uk, a Midlands-based digital media agency with a proven track record in web design, on-line branding and internet based marketing. It offers a wide range of media skills including brand development, website design, online marketing and search engine optimisation.
Founded in Leicester in 1914 Pex returned to UK ownership in 2004 after a successful management buy out, led by the company’s current executive team. Pex is the UK’s leading children’s sock and tight brand, with over 50 per cent of the children’s branded hosiery market. It maintains the largest stock of children’s hosiery in the UK with over one million pairs of socks and tights available from the brand’s Midland’s based distribution centre. In addition to hosiery Pex branded products include school uniform, baby wear, special occasion wear such as christening gowns and a huge selection of accessories including baby shoes and bibs. Pex brand products are currently sold to over 1,500 retailers throughout the UK and Eire in addition to export customers in Scandinavia, Hong Kong, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Wally Killiner – a lifetime’s work
"In June 1966 I joined H.T.H Peck Limited (now Pex) as their representative for Northern Ireland with around 60 accounts for children’s socks and tights. Within a short time I extended the business into the Irish Republic and opened such accounts as Dunnes Stores (one of Pex’s largest customers at the time), Roches Stores (now Debenhams), Arnotts of Dublin, Shaws of Athey and Winston’s resulting in my region having the largest turnover in the company for many years.
A large part of my service with Pex incorporated the thirty years of troubles in Northern Ireland. Thank goodness there are no more diversions due to shootings, evacuations from hotels due to bomb scares and no more car searches when samples were displayed at the side of the road. I think the army and the R.U.C knew the Pex range almost as well as I did! This of course made me very aware of dangerous situations – one night in an hotel in Leicester, the fire alarm went off. My Pex colleagues were amused to find me as the only person in the car park with my pyjamas on to which I replied, ‘if you lived in Northern Ireland you would have been first out too!’
The most significant change I have seen in our industry has been the customer base moving from the independent retailer to the large multiples and the disappearance of the large textile manufacturers in Leicester in favour of imported products.
I have a special message for all my customers: Thank you for your support and loyalty in the bad times as well as the good. I have valued your friendship and wish you all every success in this difficult time and in the future. I will miss you all." Wally.
Wally’s position is being taken over by Mike Lyons with immediate effect leaving Wally to pursue his wish to travel, golf, garden, DIY and enjoy his grandchildren.