Page 22 - BOSS Today Issue 20

2013 Review

2013:

THE TIPPING

POINT?

Specialist OP market researcher Martin Wilde

invited a number of key industry spokesmen to
review this year and found that - in many ways -
it was seen as a ‘tipping point’...

ow did the UK OP industry Paperbrands OP industry in terms of product “Overall it was what I
Hfare in 2013? Who won? n Michael Gardner: Chief and business model... expected it to be. Very
Who lost? How confident can Executive, BOSS Federation flat. No major upturns.
the industry be about 2014? n Bob Geens: Chief Executive, Was 2013 better or worse We follow the economy.”
With Christmas approaching, we Advantia Business Solutions 1 for the UK OP industry Bob Geens
contacted ‘seven wise men’ from n David Langdown: Managing than you expected?
the manufacturing, wholesaling Director, XPD In general, the feeling was that Indeed, both of the wholesalers
and dealer group communities, n Sean Starkey: Managing while 2013 had not altogether felt that, if anything, the market
as well as from the BOSS Director, Durable (UK) been a roaring success, it had outperformed previous
Federation itself: had not been as bad as had pessimism:
and asked them ten key previously been feared:
n Robert Baldrey: questions about their “It was better. People
Group CEO, Vasanta perceptions of 2013 and their thought 2013 would
n Alan Ball: CEO, Spicers expectations for 2014. As we will be a real disaster, but
n Philip Beer: Managing see, for many of them, 2013 was while the markets have
Director, Hamelin a kind of tipping point for the UK been extremely difficult

22 BOSS TODAY | December 2013/January 2014

Review.indd 2 02/12/2013 11:41