Congratulations to two Pauls - Wilson and Boyes - as they embark on new roles and responsibilities to help us build for the future.
Paul Wilson is our new Distribution Manager while Paul Boyes has stepped up to become Warehouse and Logistics Manager.
Paul Wilson was previously Fittings Manager and his promotion means he is taking on responsibility for three more areas: worktop warehouse, stock doors and the carrier team.
Paul Boyes, meanwhile, was previously Warehouse Facilitator and has been recognised for the work he has done improving warehouse departments and locations, introducing a potential warehouse management system and refining some ways of working.
Our Marketing and Business Development Director, Dan Mounsey, says: "Both Pauls are fantastic additions to the management team as we build and strengthen our operations for the future. They are taking on much wider responsibilities throughout the business. Both appointments are well deserved and recognise their development through the business."
Paul Wilson, who grew up in Royton and now lives in Lees, has been with us for seven years, and has worked his way through the business having first joined as an entry level agency worker following two years of travelling in Asia and India. He was then awarded a full time contract and progressed to become a team leader, supervisor and fittings manager.
He says: "It's been very quick progress and it's been a lot of hard work. The company has given me great opportunities and looked after me - and that has inspired me and been my main motivation."
Paul Boyes, from Bolton, spent 25 years in warehousing at Bolton-based Mark Two Distributors, which distributed kitchens and bathrooms business-to-business and business-to-customer across the UK, before going into administration. He later worked at Faith Furniture in the town before joining HPP three years ago.
He says: "With the work that I've done, the opportunity has come for me to take a step forward and go to the next level, and with that comes more responsibility.
"I am proud to be part of the journey that HPP is on. From what it was like when I arrived, I feel like I've contributed to improvements. Slowly but surely we are working our way through every department. We'd done things the same way for a long time and a pair of fresh eyes and new ideas go a long way. I'm looking forward continuing the journey I've got with HPP and making a difference, it's a great place to work."
One of the first priorities for both men is to look at operations in the worktop warehouse and reduce product damage.
Paul Wilson says: "We are tackling the processes in there, checking how we load and unload vehicles, how products are packed, if they're packaged well enough, and if the packaging materials we use are fit for purpose.
"That is the main focus now, but in the longer term we want all the guys in the warehouses to be fully flexible; to keep the level of skills we've got but to rotate them to bring everyone up to the same level, so that if one area is quiet and another is mad busy we can just slot people in to remove the strains."
Away from work, football features prominently in the lives of both family-orientated men. Paul Wilson, who has two young children with wife Claire - Louie (8) and Mara (2) - is a keen Manchester City fan.
Paul Boyes also has two children with wife Karen - Kara (20), a trainee teacher, and Thomas (15), a keen footballer who Paul regularly watches playing for Bolton Lads and Girls Club under-15s.