As a family business, our people have always been at the heart of what we do – and they are without a doubt one of the key reasons we’ve been able to continually grow over the past 70 years.
Many of our colleagues have been with us for decades, and we pride ourselves on keeping our team happy in their work. We’re also proud to have a strong history of providing opportunities for professional development from within the business.
One of our most recent examples of this is Danny Hickson, who has been promoted to product manager – industrial end users. And this isn’t Danny’s first career step here: since joining us five and a half years ago, he’s received an impressive three promotions. Here, Danny provides insight into his time with us so far, and why he’s chosen to build his career with Arbor Forest Products.
Name: Danny Hickson
Job: product manager – industrial end users
How did your Arbor Forest Products career begin?
I joined Arbor Forest Products as a purchasing assistant in 2016, where I was responsible for raising purchase orders for stock on site based on the use of sales forecasts to predict stock positions. The role was varied, and a typical week would see me carry out a range of tasks from creating sales forecasts and completing paperwork to participating in meetings with current and potential suppliers. I stayed in this role for 18 months before my first promotion into the business analysis and administration team.
What has your subsequent career path looked like?
As part of the business analysis and administration team, my role was to handle the whole complaints process. This was a particularly interesting position for me, as it allowed me to identify any recurring issues from different areas of the business and work to find a solution in order to ultimately allow Arbor Forest Products to provide an even better service to customers.
After around two and a half years I felt ready for my next professional challenge, and was awarded the role of Trex northern sales manager. Trex is an incredibly exciting composite decking brand, and as regional sales manager it was my job to increase product sales in the north of England through gaining new customers as well as retaining existing ones. I carried out this role for just under two years until my most recent promotion in September 2021.
As product manager – industrial end users I work closely with the external sales team to support our shed product range’s customer base. I also work with our purchasing department to ensure correct stock levels, and with our operations team working on our sawmill planing line to ensure products are machined within the correct timeframes. It’s a varied role, and I’m excited to continue getting stuck in.
Why have you chosen to progress your career at Arbor Forest Products?
The people are absolutely one of the best things about Arbor Forest Products – as a business there’s an emphasis on supporting people in their career development and promoting from within the company as much as possible. Everyone is approachable and willing to help, which makes it a great environment to work in.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m looking forward to continuing to develop in my new role, and to keep learning and building my skillset here at Arbor Forest Products.
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