Out of Eden, the UK’s largest specialist hotel supplier, is growing its sales team across the UK in response to customer demand for more ‘in-person’ service.
The Cumbrian-based family owned and run company is appointing five new regional sales representatives to focus on growing the business across every corner of the country.
The four regional sales representatives covering London, the Midlands, the Northeast, and the Northwest are already in place, with one more being recruited to concentrate on the Southwest. Alongside the national sales manager and office-based sales and customer Service teams, this will see Out of Eden’s sales and support team grow to 25 people.
From humble beginnings in 1993 in Cumbria’s Eden Valley, Out of Eden has built a UK-wide customer base of over 20,000, supplying an ever-growing range of more than 2,000 hotel room products. Despite strong business growth, particularly across Scotland and Southwest England, Out of Eden is fiercely proud of its Cumbrian roots, still operating from its original, albeit expanded, HQ in Kirkby Stephen. A strong family ethos and dedication to personal customer service runs throughout every area of the business.
Claire Armstrong, national sales manager at Out of Eden, said: “By expanding our sales team, we’re showing our continued commitment to supporting our hospitality customers across the UK. We’re now going to have more people on the ground, building new relationships and nurturing existing relationships, in most areas of the country, which reflects who we are and everything we do.
“The best part of the sales job is going to meet our customers, getting a feel for their business, and an understanding and appreciation of what the challenges are and how we can help. It’s no secret that the hospitality industry has had a tough few years, so anything we can do to make hoteliers lives a little easier, keep their guests happy, and encourage them to return time and time again is at the core of every relationship we build.”
Wilson Digby was appointed in February as the new sales representative for London and the South East. The role will see him cover Central London as well as parts of Kent, Essex, Buckinghamshire, and Hampshire. After working in sales and hospitality, primarily in the drinks trade, for more than 15 years, Wilson is relishing his new role and getting to know Out of Eden’s existing and new customers.
Digby said: “I’ve already had the opportunity to visit some stunning places, which is definitely going to be a great part of the job! It’s an exciting time to be a part of a growing Out of Eden team. Although we have many longstanding customers in the Greater London area, we’ve never had a dedicated person ‘on the ground’ who can reacquaint customers with our new and improved product range and help to meet all their needs.
“I’ve been hugely impressed with what I’ve seen so far. The product range is huge and has pleasantly surprised a number of customers who might have been regularly buying one or two core products, without being fully aware of how many other boxes we could tick for them.”
He added: “Everyone at Out of Eden believes and buys into the company’s ethos and values, and it’s encouraging to join a company where so many of the team have been there for 10+ years. Between the welcoming Sales and Customer Service teams, I feel like I’ve gained lots of new family members from the North that I didn’t know existed!”
Out of Eden’s new sales representatives will be attending a range of events and trade shows in the coming months including The Short Stay Summit at Old Billingsgate on Wednesday 22 April and The Independent Hotel Show at Olympia on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October.
