- Jim Ashley-Down will further expand Hess' market position in the UK
- Strengthening customer relationships and increasing market penetration
- Consistent implementation of the international sales and customer service oriented strategy
Hess GmbH Light + Form, an internationally leading manufacturer of designed outdoor luminaires and site furnishings based in Villingen-Schwenningen (Germany), intensifies its sales activities in the UK. At the beginning of February 2015, Jim Ashley-Down (36) took over the sales responsibility for the British market, which is very important to Hess.
With Jim Ashley-Down Hess has recruited an acknowledged expert in the British lighting industry. For the last 15 years, Ashley-Down has been employed in a variety of positions in the lighting industry. Furthermore, he offers extensive expertise regarding the requirements of Hess, as in recent years he was responsible for the sales of Hess products and the implementation of demanding lighting and design projects within the Zumtobel Group in the UK.
Pierre van Lamsweerde, CEO of the Nordeon Group and Managing Director of Hess, is more than satisfied with this new member of staff: "With Jim we found the ideal candidate for the job. He has profound knowledge of the British market and of Hess as well. In my opinion it is a win-win situation, especially for our customers."
In future, Jim will work very intensively with Robyn Riley. Riley has been the Key Account Manager for Hess in the UK, since August 2014. In addition to customer service and project support, the creation of a network for architects and planners is part of their responsibilities.
For Pierre van Lamsweerde, intensifying the sales activities through their own staff in the UK represents a consistent implementation of Hess' "best direct customer service" strategy. "With Jim and Robyn we are even better equipped to respond very quickly and more intensively to individual customer requests and project specific requirements. We continue to expand on our strength of implementing demanding projects and to position Hess sustainably as premium provider of holistic solutions for the design of urban spaces and sophisticated lighting solutions. Hess offers that something special."
Jim Ashley-Down started to work for Hess on 9 February 2015. The cooperation with the Zumtobel Group as a distribution partner remains unaffected by this measure.