Carters’s arrival as Business Development Director strengthens the company’s senior management team and demonstrates the continued desire and passion of Chairman and MD Julian Niman. Despite almost 30 years in the industry he is more determined than ever for his business to remain at the forefront of telecoms distribution - the benchmark for delivery and service excellence.
Niman is keen to point out how being a top national distributor involves much more than combining exceptional logistics with competitive pricing. “Whilst we are determined to remain price competitive, our customers benefit from much more than just a reliable delivery operation. Last year’s acquisition of Rocom has allowed us to expand our product range and more importantly provide our customers with an increased range of services, such as leasing and network services. We’ve combined the best elements of both businesses to make our customer proposition even stronger.”
From educational roadshows, webinars and technical training courses to field-based support, Nimans is a complete distribution partner, resellers can rely on.
Niman adds that helping drive the adoption of new technology is another key area. Nimans works with lots of leading manufacturers so is ideally placed to take an independent and impartial view on how the latest technology can generate the biggest impact for dealers and the distributor itself.
In terms of general sales trends, Niman pointed out: “I think we are beginning to see more confidence returning to the market as sales begin to climb in lots of different areas. For example demand for Addcom headsets has risen by 30%, audio conferencing is up 20% and sales of NEC’s SV8100 communication platform have doubled this year compared to 12 months ago.”
Control Phreak, an exclusive PBX firewall which prevents telephone hacking is also a big seller along with the Fortune Music on Hold range which utilises MP3 files instead of compact discs.
“Generally we are having great success with peripheral sales; helping resellers sell back into their existing bases,” said Niman. “This proved particularly beneficial when the wheels of commerce began to slow due to the recession, minimising new business opportunities for resellers.”
Turning to the future, convergence and unified communications represent some significant dealer opportunities for Nimans who are ideally positioned to help customers adapt their skill sets. Niman emphasised: “Selling equipment and applications which are part of an IT infrastructure present different challenges from traditional PBX technologies. We recognise the difficulties that some resellers face, and work with key manufacturers, holding regular training sessions for example to boost their knowledge and confidence.”
Over the last 30 years Nimans has developed in-depth understanding of what customers require - with world class logistics ensuring guaranteed next day deliveries. “We’ve noted recent developments where one distributor has moved its delivery operations to central Europe,” Julian added. “We provide local service on a nationwide level with resellers having dedicated account managers and field-based face-to-face support.
“A huge £10 million stock holding ensures products are ready for delivery when resellers require them. Many don’t need their own warehouse facilities or stock investment. Nimans also offers a white label or own branded delivery service direct to their customer’s door - as well as serial number tracking which provides a smooth running CCU administration process such as the ordering of licences and any warranty claims.”
Despite being voted the Comms Business Distributor of the Year for the last two years, Nimans has no desire to rest on its laurels. Julian concluded: “We have a great team to take us forward. The combined distribution experience of the Board is in excess of 100 years. Below the board is even more expertise in terms of senior management and long serving staff. Added together there is more than 250 years of experience in the company, more than any other competitor in the UK or Europe.
“We have some major long term plans going forward as we look to significantly expand our revenue streams. Resellers remain at the heart of our business. Ultimately if they are successful then so are we.”