Jenny Munro talks to Ian Young
IAN
Young, 43, is the General Manager of Northern Ireland's
largest PVC manufacturer and installer. JH Turkington &
Sons, which recently invested £1 million in a new Lisburn
showroom located in the prominent Linenhall House building
on Linenhall Street.
Turkington, which has been trading since 1951 also has facilities in Portadown and Ballymena. The company employs more than 250 staff and has an annual turnover of �36 million. It is one of the most recognisable names in the local building and construction industry and its windows division has delivered an enviable 96% customer recommendation rating, one or the highest ratings in the UK.
Ian. who is married with two children graduated in 1988 from Queen s University with a decree in Mathematics and statistics. After qualifying as an accountant he worked in England prior to joining Turkington where he has been since 1996 when he joined as Financial Controller. Within 18 months he took over the position of General Manager. after the previous General Manager became unwell. To this day, Ian continues to hold both positions within the company.
I leave my house at 7.45am and drop my children off at the nursery while my wife heads to work. I normally reach the headquarters in Portadown at 8 30am. I turn on my computer and check for new emails and then I'll have a cup of tea.
I believe that the investment in Lisburn will greatly benefit local customers. We were delighted to officially open our new showroom in the heart of Lisburn's bustling city centre.
The new purpose-built facility is a fantastic site and has already become a landmark feature in Lisburn. Our objective is to provide customers with a range of value added options to maximise their property enjoyment and investment. We nave achieved this by offering a broad range of PVC windows. doors and conservatoires in a variety of different settings. ranging from traditional to ultra modern and chic. This choice of products together with our unique offering of the UK's only 'heat tunnel' - a unique facility that informs customers of the best 'glass to heat' configuration and maximises energy efficiency ' - gives Turkington customers an extremely high standard of service.
I'm pleased to say that the reaction from both existing and new customers has been very positive and reaffirms our decision to move into Lisburn.
I liase regularly with the different managers within the company and am kept up to-date on any issues. I am not generally involved with the day-to-day goings on but more with the general running Turkington and its long term development. Once a month nave a board meeting with the board of directors so I like to be well prepared for this. I chair management meetings, which are held every Wednesday and discuss any issues raised. I like to think ahead and work with the team on ways to expand the business. I might hold meetings to talk about technological ideas and marketing strategies. All the managers from the different departments including sales and marketing, installation and contracts, have a lot of experience so they get on with the day-to-day running of the their particular area.
Another part of my job is dealing with recruitment procedures. This includes interviewing and the administration work that goes along with it and the processing of contracts. As Financial Controller I am responsible for overseeing the accounting functions.
Most days I finish at around 6pm. I go home and have dinner with my family. In my spare time I like to keep fit and I enjoy playing golf and badminton. I am currently the Chairman of the Glass and Glazing Federation for Northern Ireland whose key goal is to offer protection to consumers and trade members. My time as Chairman is nearly up but I have used my time to promote the GGF in this region. both to customers and to other reputable firms and so help drive up the standards of quality and service even further.
Ulster Star
20/07/2007
