WELCOME TO THE TEAM NICK! WHEN DID YOU ACTUALLY JOIN APS?

It’s been a couple of months now since I joined APS I’d say. It’s been a period of finding my feet really! Everyone within the Downer Framing team and the company as a whole has been very welcoming so far.

HOW ARE YOU FINDING THE FIRST FEW WEEKS?

I’m enjoying it, and relishing the challenge of working differently. After many years of working a certain way, it’s always a revelation and a feat to work differently – but I am very adaptable and I’m getting to grips with their new systems.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ROLE…

I’m the Technical Manager for Downer Framing, I’m responsible for providing technical support to our nationwide Downer customers. I work closely with the sales team and am very hands on when it comes to client service. Quite often I will organise to accompany the team when they see clients to ensure our customers optimise their rainscreen framing solution. My principle role is to provide technical expertise, yet it is an all-encompassing role and I am also on-hand to help the sales team as much as possible.

Just as each day is different, no two clients or framing solution are the same, therefore my role is diverse and challenging. Now that Downer Designer has recently launched and Downer Framing has three new rainscreen framing systems to offer, it’s a key time of growth, which means I’m also going to be busy putting a robust technical support team in place, working alongside Juan Barato.

WHAT IS YOUR KEY STRENGTH/S?

With more experience than I’d care to admit as a Technical Manager, providing technical support to rainscreen framing clients, I would consider myself an adept problem solver. I enjoy the challenges that come with trying to provide the best solution dependent on a client’s facade choice and budget. I like to think I offer an engineered solution and intuitive approach when it comes to support.

I pride myself on my rainscreen framing knowledge and the support I can provide, and see myself as an important link between the Downer sales team, client and the manufacturing team.

WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE YOU JOINED THE TEAM?

I’ve been working within the framing industry for such a long time, in fact I remember actually meeting John Downer – the creator of Downer Framing – way back when. I think it was 1988 when Downer Framing made its entry into the market as the Original Helping Hand System. Incredible to feel I’ve almost gone full circle.

I spent the first 25 years of my working life working for a Mechanical handling company firstly as an apprentice then design draughtsman and then worked my way up to managing a small team in the design office before spending four years as a sales manager. The last 20 years I worked for another market leading rainscreen framing company, as Technical Manager. I actually had the pleasure of working alongside Andy Creedy and Hannah Lawrence, so it’s nice to see familiar faces and to have the opportunity to work alongside them once again.

WHAT CAN OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT FROM THE DOWNER TECHNICAL TEAM?

I hope to strengthen the Technical team, moving forward, so that we can offer a truly first-class engineering support for our systems, and help customers rely on us to support them throughout the lifespan of their rainscreen framing project.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF WE MAY NOT KNOW…

I’m a lifelong cyclist 50 + years and still riding. And I’m also the grandfather to a little girl and a new baby boy.