Upon conclusion of the E&S conference held in Melbourne this week, Appliance Retailer spoke to a few suppliers who shared their feedback on the two-day event.
Electrolux Australia and New Zealand managing director, Kurt Hegvold said it was “genuinely refreshing” to see industry leaders come together to celebrate the E&S success story and its 60th anniversary.
“Rob and his team continue to share a common and consistent message. Customer obsession at the core with incredible service delivered to customers through empowered and passionate E&S team members, supported by deep and strong partnerships with their suppliers and stakeholders,” he told Appliance Retailer.
“It was an event filled with good humour, good news, good insight and great potential. It also highlighted the importance of deep insight and data capability in being able to unlock targeted consumer growth potential and enhanced consumer lifetime value.”
Smeg Australia managing director, Wayne Campbell congratulated E&S on the conference and its 60-year anniversary.
“It was wonderful to celebrate this significant milestone with the industry. During the conference, Rob and his team demonstrated their strong commitment to business partnerships while remaining focused on their future growth and business goals,” he told Appliance Retailer.
“The importance of family was also a consistent theme, specifically the role family values play in guiding business destiny, a proposition also relevant for Smeg as a third-generation Italian family business.”
Miele Australia and New Zealand managing director, Yves Dalcourt said E&S demonstrated a major business transformation at the conference.
“Sales results aside, the structural changes, clear direction vision and purpose were outlined, and E&S should be extremely proud as they have re-enforced an already solid foundation. Congratulations Rob and team,” he told Appliance Retailer.
Eurolinx national sales manager, Tristan Peters said his main takeaway from the main conference was an appreciation for how aligned the company is. “Rob and Mike have created an incredible and enviable culture that represents their core values and highlights the importance of true partnerships with the supplier.”
Commenting on the key takeaways, Arisit managing director, Simon Taylor said, “E&S has shown the importance of relationships, upselling and a focus on quality products delivering a strategic future direction. This is a company we want to do more business with.”
BLANCO general manager, Gerard Gill said the conference provided the business with an exciting opportunity to grow into the future.
“E&S has demonstrated a strong ability to deliver on its website and digital assets which will assist the sales of sinks and taps for our business in an online environment,” he told Appliance Retailer.
“It has been a credit to the business to operate during Covid in the way they have. This is a business that is absolutely pumping and doing very well with a focus on premium products while also clearly demonstrating care for their customer and love for their staff.”
Zip Water residential director, Cliff Thompson said he thoroughly enjoyed the conference, partly because it was the first time in over two years that the industry had come together face to face, but more importantly, because it the amount of time and effort that the E&S team put in was obvious.
“I’ve been to a lot of conferences over the years and most of them just talk about themselves and you feel like they are just taking the opportunity to tell you what they want out of it. It’s clear to me that under Rob’s guidance and leadership, it’s about building stronger relationships and true partnerships. Message received loud and clear. I’m all in,” he told Appliance Retailer.
Mitsubishi Electric national retail sales manager Garth Hickey said Rob showed the true family values in the business during the conference. “The level of professionalism and dedication to his people is tremendous and I feel this a business that will go from strength to strength.”
Featured image: Chris Coen (EHP), Kurt Hegvold (EHP), Michael Jackson (Narta) & Darren Spencer (Narta).