Thomas Hardt

Export Sales Manager at Power Adhesives Ltd
  • Claim this Profile
Contact Information
us****@****om
(386) 825-5501
Location
Greater Stoke-on-Trent Area, UK
Languages
  • German Native or bilingual proficiency
  • English Native or bilingual proficiency
  • French Professional working proficiency
  • Dutch Professional working proficiency
  • Spanish Professional working proficiency
  • Polish Elementary proficiency
  • Italian Elementary proficiency
Skills

Topline Score

Topline score feature will be out soon.

Bio

Generated by
Topline AI

5.0

/5.0
/ Based on 2 ratings
  • (2)
  • (0)
  • (0)
  • (0)
  • (0)

Filter reviews by:

LinkedIn User

In the world of "fake experts", Thomas is a professional and honest Marketing strategist. Not many of those around !

Paul Carty

While Thomas worked at Talbot Pipeline Fittings, he supported S W Carty & Son Ltd, who were Talbot's distributor in the Republic of Ireland. Thomas has a firm grasp of technical product aspects, combined with good communication skills. As Product Manager for the Pushfit range of pipe fittings, he was the go-to expert on all commercial and technical aspects, and helped S W Carty grow the business. His professional, positive attitude made him a valuable resource. I wish Thomas every success in his chosen career.

You need to have a working account to view this content.
Join now
You need to have a working account to view this content.
Join now

Credentials

  • Diplom Wirtschaftsassistent IHK
    Industrie- und Handelskammer
  • Industriekaufmann
    Industrie- und Handelskammer

Experience

  • Power Adhesives Ltd
    • United Kingdom
    • Chemical Manufacturing
    • 1 - 100 Employee
    • Export Sales Manager
      • Jan 2016 - Present

      PLEASE NOTE: I am a Sales Manager, not a Purchaser. Please do not pitch your raw materials, transport or freight offers to me. I will just block you. Power Adhesives is the UK's market leader in shaped hotmelt adhesives and application equipment. By supplying an optimised system of hotmelt glue and specifically developed guns, Power Adhesives can provide value-added solutions to many industries such as - but not limited to - composite moulding, pre-cast concrete, metal foundries, wood repair, general assembly as well as packaging and hobby/crafts. In order to achieve the same market-leading position in central Europe, I am actively looking for pro-active distributors with good connections in these industries in order to form mutually beneficial partnerships and grow business together. The wide range of glue-sticks in sizes 7mm, 12mm, 15mm and 43mm as well as an assortment of colours across a range of different chemistries such as EVA, EBA, PO, APAO and PA permits us to select the best adhesive for the application. We develop and manufacture our own hotmelt adhesives at our headquarters in Basildon. The glue-guns are designed and produced in-house. Users have got a choice of different output capacities, depending on the capacity required for their operation, and the cordless battery- and gas-operated models permit a previously unknown freedom and flexibility for the operator. Show less

  • L&L Products
    • United States
    • Automotive
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Strategic Marketing Manager Europe
      • May 2013 - Dec 2015

      L&L Products needed a replacement for their previous - and first - Marketing Manager, who had moved to the Global Head Office in the US. The Global Marketing Team at L&L Products was responsible for the needs of their Automotive, Commercial Vehicle and Aerospace Market Fields. The accountabilities of this role ranged from the most basic tactical level to long-term strategic ones. Typically, this included procurement of promotional gifts, organisation of exhibition stands, design of technical literature and the creation of promotional technical videos, but also extended to strategic work such as market research on various industry trends, Voice-of-Customer research to identify unmet needs, and the instigation of new product development. The concept of Marketing as a function that leads company strategy and lends direction was new to L&L Products and - under the global guidance of the Marketing & Business Development Director - the Global Marketing Team, consisting of Marketing Manager EU, Marketing Manager US and Marketing Specialist US, implemented the corporate identity, co-ordinated interaction with global OEMs, and globally launched a number of new products such as the dry-to-touch structural epoxy adhesive film (see project BMW 7-series below) and the next generation of L&L Reinforce / CBS based on Organosheet (see project Porsche below). Unfortunately, the cost of operating a Strategic Marketing Management from the UK, and staying in close contact with customers and the Product Development team in Strasbourg, exceeded L&L's strained budget. I was offered the opportunity to relocate to Strasbourg, but had to decline due to family reasons, and was made redundant as a consequence. Show less

  • Apollo Chemicals Ltd
    • United Kingdom
    • Chemical Manufacturing
    • 1 - 100 Employee
    • European Business Development Manager
      • Dec 2008 - May 2013

      Apollo employed me as European Business Development Manager in order to embark on a structured and focused programme of generating export business with continental Europe. Promoting a product range that was comparable to that of Sika for applications that were mostly identical, I undertook first to introduce Apollo into the German market, followed by other countries such as Turkey, Poland, BeNeLux, several Balkans states, Scandinavia and finally France. In most cases, business was conducted via technical distributors, who added front-line technical support and local stock-keeping to Apollo's technical expertise and extensive product range, to create a strong partnership that gained market-share. These efforts once again required detailed market research to find the best partners for Apollo, and further research in order to identify potential customers, which could be passed on to the distributors as sales leads. I then conducted the first customer visits in conjunction with the distributors in order to establish credibility and provide the required technical knowledge until the distributors had gained sufficient proficiency and confidence. In order to train and support the distributors, and in the absence of a marketing department, I generated my own literature and translated what material was available wherever possible, and organised training events at Apollo's facilities in the UK. Show less

  • Thorowgood Saddles
    • Walsall
    • European Sales Manager
      • Dec 2007 - Nov 2008

      Thorowgood is a manufacturer of synthetic equestrian saddles. The brand has been established in the UK as an alternative to traditional leather saddles for over 20 years, but enjoyed small success in continental Europe due to strong competition from similar saddles of lower quality manufactured in the Asia. I was employed in order to grow Thorowgood's business in Europe. As European Sales Manager, I introduced Thorowgood into Germany, France and the Netherlands. In order to achieve growth, I applied my own interest in equestrian sports, and the knowledge of saddlery imparted to me by my wife, a fully trained saddler running her own business of made-to-measure saddles. I also drew on my skills and experience in Marketing and Business Development in order to analyse the market by region and consumer segment, identify retailers etc. Based on this preparation, I established a network of individual retailers with specialist saddle fitting skills. The unique adjustability of Thorowgood's saddles allowed them to make a sale in considerably less time than with traditional leather saddles, so that the profit per time spent on the sales process was higher than it would have been with leather saddles of twice the retail price. The synthetic saddles are also very well suited to internet and catalogue retailers with chains of shops, such as Decathlon in France or Krämer Pferdesport in Germany. Once again, the adjustability was the USP as it minimises stock levels for the retailer and allows consumers to fit the saddle to their horse. Attendance at both trade and consumer exhibitions together with frequent advertising and mailshots established good brand awareness and brand recognition, and created considerable sales in a very short period of time. Today, Thorowgood enjoys a secure position in the European Market. Based on input from my wife and myself, Thorowgood launched the Fairfax range of leather saddles and uses the Prolite impact absorbing foam in girths and saddle panels. Show less

  • Sika
    • Switzerland
    • Chemical Manufacturing
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Market Development Manager Sandwich Panel Bonding
      • Aug 2005 - Nov 2007

      When Sika acquired Casco, I was employed to launch the new SikaForce range into the German market. After intensive product training in Fredensborg, I embarked on thorough market research into the Sandwich Panel market, identifying and qualifying potential customers as well as competitors, determining market size and market prices. As the product expert in the German sales team, I trained the sales force and assisted them with the first Sandwich Panel projects before assuming a more strategic role that allowed Sika Industry to establish a strong position in the German Sandwich Panel Market. Notable successes included winning business at three major motorhome and caravan manufacturers, two refrigerated truck body manufacturers and the German plant of one multinational manufacturer of continuous insulated building panels. Show less

  • National Starch & Chemicals
    • Eastleigh, then Kleve
    • Application Development Specialist, then Regional Manager
      • Apr 2003 - Jul 2005

      Moving back into a traditional marketing role, I was responsible for the Permabond range of structural adhesives (Epoxy, MMA, Cyano, Anaerobic, UV curing) in terms of sales support and marcoms (organizing exhibitions and creating sales literature) as well as helping the marketing manager formulate strategy. In addition, I was responsible for the French and German helpline as well as certain smaller accounts that were too large to be handed over to distributors, but too small for the sales force. As a result of this regional expertise, I was transferred to the NSC sales office after the "Permabond" brand was sold off, and became the Regional Manager for Northern Germany with budget responsibility for all structural adhesive customers. Show less

  • Tyco Waterworks UK (formerly Talbot Pipeline Fittings)
    • Winchester
    • Product Manager, then Key Account Manager
      • Jul 1999 - Mar 2003

      As Product Manager for Talbot's Pushfit Service Pipe Fittings, I was responsible for product range maintenance, including the new product development and introduction process from concept to launch, as well as for the marketing strategy for this product range. Notable successes include the development and launch of the Matrix Meterbox, assisting the key account managers in winning supply contract tenders, and introducing Pushfit into the French and German market including all relevant industry approvals. After Talbot's acquisition by Tyco Waterworks, I took on the position of Key Account Manager for Thames Water and all its contractors, covering the Thames Valley and parts of London, and liaising with all levels of Thames Water's management structure from depots up to the head of corporate purchasing. Show less

  • Bayer
    • Chemical Manufacturing
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Junior Key Account Manager
      • Mar 1999 - Jun 1999

      After finishing the Apprenticeship/NVQ as Industriekaufmann and the Bayer-sponsored degree course as Wirtschaftsassistent in Business Administration and Marketing, working in the Marketing department of Bayer's Polyurethanes division, market field Automotive, and completing a secondment to the UK sales office in Newbury, I returned to the German head office to work as Junior Key Account Manager looking after major seating producers. Eventually, I decided to leave the company and move to the UK.

    • Secondment to Bayer UK
      • Jul 1998 - Feb 1999

      After finishing the Apprenticeship/NVQ as Industriekaufmann and the Bayer-sponsored degree course as Wirtschaftsassistent in Business Administration and Marketing, I worked in the Marketing department of Bayer's Polyurethanes division, market field Automotive. I was then chosen for a secondment abroad due to my exceptional performance after two years.I was sent on an 8 month secondment to the UK sales office in Newbury, where I was the first Bayer Germany Intern to be permitted on the road by himself, with responsibility for some small Tier 2 accounts as well as the project of introducing the self-billing system at Ford Halewood. Show less

    • Marketing Assistant
      • Jul 1995 - Jun 1998

      After finishing the Apprenticeship/NVQ as Industriekaufmann and the Bayer-sponsored degree course as Wirtschaftsassistent in Business Administration and Marketing, I worked in the Marketing department of Bayer's Polyurethanes division, market field Automotive. My role involved product range maintenance (lifecycle analysis), analysing raw-material cost and recommending price strategies, and preparing the strategic decisions for key accounts such as Johnson Controls, Woodbridge, Vitafoam and others. Show less

    • Apprencticeship / Degree Course
      • Jul 1993 - Jun 1995

      I successfully applied for the prestigious combined Apprenticeship/NVQ as Industriekaufmann and the Bayer-sponsored degree course as Wirtschaftsassistent in Business Administration and Marketing. There were 20 openings per year, and in excess of 2000 applicants.The apprenticeship rotated in blocks of 6 weeks from key departments (purchasing, production planning, order processing, accounting...) to the vocational school (economics, accounting, chemistry, logistics, IT...). After the first year, additional lectures in Business Administration, Marketing and Corporate Accounting were added. During the time in departments, course work had to be completed. Regular lessons in French and English led to exams in commercial correspondence at the Chamber of Commerce. The students had to apply to a department of their choice for sponsorship of their degree. I was accepted by the Polyurethanes Department, Market Field Automotive. The degree course finished with a thesis on the viability of the recycling of Polyurethane via Glycolysis. Show less

  • Bundesministerium der Verteidigung
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Soldier on the Staff of the Ministry of Defence (Stabsdienstsoldat)
      • Jul 1992 - Jun 1993

      After the three-month basic training in Jägerbatallion 542 (light infantry), I spent nine months as a staff soldier in the Stabsdienstbatallion (Staff Service Batallion), attached to the German Ministry of Defence. In the department FüS4.1, I assisted the efforts of dismantling the obsolete German/German defences. After 6 months of total service, I was promoted from Schütze (Private) to Gefreiter (Corporal), and after 9 months was promoted further to Hauptgefreiter (Leading Lance Corporal). The latter was a performance-based promotion, which skipped the rank of Lance Corporal. After 10 months was awarded the medal of honour for my contributions to the work of my department (due to my IT and language skills). During my time at the Ministry, I received several "perks" from Staff Officers as rewards for my work, such as three days on board a Transall plane during low-level flight practice in the Portuguese mountains around Beja. At the end of my tour of duty, I received my honourable dismissal. The dismissal letter and document which awards me the medal of honour can be found in the attached scans. Show less

Education

  • Bayer Wirtschaftsakademie
    Wirtschaftsassistent IHK, Business Studies and Marketing
    1993 - 1995
  • Bayer Werksberufschule
    geprüfter Industriekaufmann IHK, Business Administration, Management and Operations
    1993 - 1994
  • Albert Einstein Gymnasium
    Abitur, Maths, English, Geography, Chemistry
    1979 - 1992

Community

You need to have a working account to view this content. Click here to join now