Engineered Timber Solutions (ETS) in the UK has doubled down on their Posi-Joist offering, helping more builders prepare for the future of construction. The person leading the charge on this is Richard Pashley.
After joining ETS nine years ago, he quickly spotted the potential to do more with Posi-Joist as a product. It was a smart move as the UK market started booming, and Richard was perfectly positioned to make the most of every opportunity. ETS’ revenue from Posi-Joist went from £250,000 in 2016 to over two million this year.
Selling the positives of Posi-Joist
How did it happen? Well, it helps when you believe in the product. Richard realises that Posi-Joist is going to present different benefits to different people. By listening to what makes each project unique, he can come up with a specific reason to give the product a try.
Some people like being able to cover longer spans at shallower depths. Others are drawn to how easy it is to fix a Posi-Joist, thanks to the wider surface. Everyone sees the benefit of being able to take a greater load with less wasted material. Once you start using them, the benefits start stacking up.
Some themes keep getting brought up by happy customers. Labour savings in particular are making clients happy as carpenters can fit a Posi-Joist in about 75% of the time it would take them to fit a traditional solid joist or an I-beam.
Another big selling point has proven to be ease of installation. Posi-Joists turn up pre-designed and ready to install. There’s no trimming huge chunks of heavy timber, customers can get to work straight away.
Who’s switching to Posi-Joist?
Through a combination of Richard’s efforts and word of mouth, a great many customers are finding out what Posi-Joist offers their projects. ETS’ customer base has evolved hugely over their 20-year story of growth. That’s led to a really diverse mix of interest.
In Richard’s own words, “It’s a people thing more than anything else. I get a buzz out of talking to people and helping them change their mindset about how they want to build things. We’re finding this with an awful lot of guys who have been building for many, many years with solid timbers. They try the metal web joists and that’s what they stick with.
The building industry’s quite slow at changing and accommodating new products in general. But the old boys are benefitting from it as much as the bigger companies we work with. They tend to be the most vocal about it, too. It’s great to see!”
After nine years of Richard’s tireless input, ETS is now more than a truss company that also does Posi-Joists. They’re a dedicated truss and Posi-Joist company, with many happy customers feeling the benefit. But he isn’t done yet, there’s more on the horizon.
How is MiTek helping Richard get the job done?
Richard had already been with ETS for some time when they started collaborating with MiTek in 2017. Having seen our relationship flourish, he’s more than happy that he and his colleagues made the move.
ETS pride themselves on their five-day lead time, and MiTek’s PAMIR design software is letting them stick to this level of service as they scale. Richard is a firm believer in optimising the way designers spend their time. Better software means more efficiency, quicker designs and more quotes. It’s making a real positive impact on the bottom line.
As he puts it, “I’ve dealt with the three major metal web and truss nail plate connector companies in the UK. To be perfectly honest, MiTek offer the best service, the best product and the best software. The software can be adapted to suit us, that’s a fairly easy process, and it helps us in many ways.
Through thick and thin, they’ve been very open and transparent. It puts us in a really good position to speak to our own customers early and get things to them quicker than our competitors can.”
Looking ahead, Richard aims to repeat his success in pushing Posi-Joist. The future is in cassettes, another move towards the modular that’s set to make life easier for plumbers and electricians. As the world keeps building, speed and flexibility are his watchwords. We’re looking forward to continuing to help ETS, and Richard, set the standard.
