This month the spotlight is on Ian Butterworth, CFP’s Sales Manager. We asked Ian a few questions so that you could get to know him a bit better…
What did you do before starting work at CFP?
I have been in the filter industry for over 40 years, I don’t remember much before that. It’s probably safe to say I know a great deal about filter products and filter management.
What’s the most fulfilling thing about your job?
I really enjoy solving problems. People call me up with a problem and they don’t know what to do. I will usually go to their premises to take a look at the problem. It’s second nature to me so I can spot the difficulty, and in some cases what they’re not doing that they should be and I’m able to provide them with a solution and make recommendations. This generally saves customers a lot of time and hassle and gives them reassurance which is very fulfilling.
What’s a typical day for you?
It’s not your typical eight hour day because there’s a lot of travel involved, I can be anywhere in the UK on any given day. It needs a lot of planning in advance. I spend most of my time meeting people; I can see anything from five to seven different customers in a day. Then there’s lots of paperwork to keep in order which I fit in between travelling where I can.
What changes have you seen during your time in the industry?
Having been in the industry for so long I have of course seen many changes over the years but the most significant has to be the big change in consciousness of customers in terms of energy efficiency and cost savings. Businesses are now looking to cut down on their carbon footprint and become more sustainable, which of course saves them money at the same time. Ten years ago if you’d have mentioned carbon footprint to someone they’d have looked at the bottom of their shoe very confused. These days making recommendations to customers on the energy efficiency of products and ways of working to help them save money comes as standard. I’m also able to give calculations to how much they’ll reduce their carbon footprint by which can be used in annual reports.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have four daughters, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren so they keep me quite busy. If I have a spare five minute they’ll find something to fill it with.
