3 minute read
Going Places
Talking to Dean Pamphilon about why his new company, Armera, is one to watch
Dean Pamphilon has been involved with BITA for years, attending lunch events, golf days, and traveling to all our chapters to meet different members with his previous company, Vado.
Dean has worked in the bathroom industry for 40 years, and has a experience across all areas of the industry, having worked as a ceramic tiler and bathroom fitter, as well as in sales, distribution and showrooms.
“I worked at Vado for 14 years, and my fellow directors and I grew the business massively!” says Dean; “However we felt that there was space in the market for a new business that was UK based, UK manufacturing and focusing on UK trends.” Ultimately, Dean wanted to get back to brass tacks and rediscover his passion for the trade.
Armera was only founded this year and is focusing on working with a small collective of retail showrooms and contract merchants, to encourage a community feel with real relationships. Dean expands; “We want these companies to feel that Armera is their own. They will also become our product development team showing us the products that are being asked for in the market.”
Many businesses are looking towards this more personal model, as we come out of lockdown and are restabilising relationships and generating new ones. Dean remembers his first 5 years at a previous job, where he grew his sales channel from £0 to £8m in 5 years; “I know that I will eclipse that with developing and growing Armera. A new brand of designer bathroom ware with a new approach perfectly mirrors what BITA is all about” Dean is very keen to focus on getting the right team in place, with the belief that any successes in business are made possible by employing the right team of people. He is already working with BITA sponsors Premier Contract Supplies, and Aylesbury based business Grant and Stone, both of which he believes share his ethos of complete belief in trust and partnership when it comes to business relationships; “they know I’ve got their backs, and I know that they have mine.”
With his positive outlook, incredible amount of experience, and dedication towards finding the right team and investment in partnerships, we are excited to see where Armera will be in a year, and we will be following Dean on his journey.
If you would like to talk with Dean, he is keen to chat to designers, architects, housebuilders and property developers, as well as anyone else that he may be able to help. “We have designed all of our products to be the absolute best they can be in both design and quality” says Dean, and best of all; “I am happy to supply all BITA members at trade prices for their personal bathrooms.”
Get in touch with Dean at dean.pamphilon@armera.co.uk
KEY TRENDS TO CONSIDER FOR 2021
Bathroom design is a much bigger deal now; as people are constantly exposed to dream bathrooms in hotels, in design shows, and on TV programmes and films:
PREDICTIONS FOR 2021 TRENDS:
• Textured surfaces (tiles) and coloured brassware mainly brushed gold and black
• Free standing baths and larger walk-in showers
• Taps and showers being made small, discreet and concealed in the walls
• Most bathrooms will now try and incorporate a cabinet under the sink and above for storage
It used to be that everyone craved a dream kitchen, but now they crave a dream bathroom. The bathroom suite on a pallet is dead in most cases and is only really viable now for the rental property market.
