Partnership with suppliers

‘The customer is always right’, is the old maxim, but thriving businesses tend to be the ones who recognise that long-term relationships require work by both parties, buyer and seller. At Eden Facades, we understand how important it is to actively invest in relationships with our whole supply chain, as well as clients.

Ian Quinton is the Managing Director of RCM Building Boards & Facades, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of such materials. Recently, Ian was kind enough to say the following:

“We’ve worked on a lot of projects of varying sizes, but for me, creating a good partnership is more important than the size of business. Paul and the team at Eden Facades are very supportive and we enjoy working alongside them; it’s very much about collaboration…I find them very loyal, in the way they treat their suppliers.”

Building safety fund

Due to the focus on cladding remediation, and with both private and public sector building owners working their way through remediation programs, firms that specialise in recladding are potentially in a less vulnerable position than other construction sector companies.

“It has become clear that many residential blocks of flats have serious historical fire safety defects associated with their original construction or a subsequent refurbishment”, the government notes in discussing the Building Safety Act 2022.

Many of the UK’s largest housebuilders have already pledged their commitment to fixing defects in buildings over 11 metres that they have had a role in developing, amounting to more than £2bn; and with the Building Safety Levy in consultation, moving closer to being imposed, the need for contractors to enlist an experienced and knowledgeable cladding team has never been greater.

The importance of relationships

Even so, the circumstances are challenging for any construction-sector firm. In such circumstances, the companies that do the best are generally the ones who have developed strong long-term relationships with clients and suppliers. In boom times, you find your ‘go-to’ partners are booked, and you branch out, but in harder conditions, you stick with those you trust.

It’s fair to say that the current strong order book here at Eden Facades is a case of enjoying the fruits of earlier hard work, especially in relationship-building. If you look over the projects showcased on our website, you will see names such as RG Carter, Berkeley Homes, Kier Construction and the Darwin Group cropping up again and again.

One recent project with RG Carter, for example, was awarded following a particularly positive experience on other work with the same contractor. “When it came to the detail of the proposal, Eden Facades were efficient and professional. They provided us with detail for all the questions the Quantity Surveyor and I had, and gave us the confidence that they would do a good job”, commented RG Carter’s Gavin Leeks, at the time of the earlier project.

Award-winning success

The points discussed above are necessary for success, but they are not sufficient. As well as everything else, you must be able to deliver good results. The 2022 Façade Awards UK were held on November 4^th, and we are delighted to say that Eden Facades, along with one of our longstanding suppliers Valcan, won the award for ‘Best use of fibre cement cladding panels’.

You can read more about our work on Addington Valley Academy here.

Wrapping up

Clear and open communication, and a willingness to put work into relationship building, are at the centre of our efforts to build trust and cement long-term partnerships.

When it comes to delivery, we see that as a case of ‘look after the strategy, and the tactics should work out’. “Finding the right people is what has allowed the business to expand”, our Managing Director Tony Hill has commented. “We are good people, and we do a good job.”

Find out more about our some of our recent projects – including cladding remediation, SFS, and rainscreen cladding. Get in touch to talk to us about a specific project or sign up to our bi-monthly newsletter to receive all the latest Eden Facades news straight to your inbox!