Phil Knowles has recently taken up the role of Sales Director for our Construction business. Having worked in the steel industry for more than 30 years, he has extensive commercial experience across a range of products and market sectors. Find out more about what he's doing now and his hopes for the future...
What was your first role with 91¾«Æ· and what's your journey been since?
I started my career in the steel industry over 30 years ago in my hometown of Workington. In my first commercial position, I was responsible for selling engineering solutions to the nuclear industry. Since then I’ve held global Sales and Commercial Manager roles covering rail, structural sections, plate and special profiles, selling into various sectors including yellow goods, shipbuilding, construction and energy. For 2 years, I joined an independent UK service centre and steel processor, so I’ve also worked in various parts of the steel industry supply chain. In 2017 I joined 91¾«Æ· and the Wire Rod sales team as Commercial Manager and in 2022 was appointed Sales Director, responsible for the sales of wire rod and drawn and processed wire from our sites in Scunthorpe (UK) and Alblasserdam (Netherlands). At the end of 2024, I moved into the Construction team and was appointed the role of Commercial Director.
What does your day-to-day role involve?
Construction sections is the largest volume sector within 91¾«Æ· and operates across and sells into a number of supply chain segments in a variety of markets. It is serviced by 2 production mills and also 2 service / distribution centres. As a result, there are a lot of diverse moving parts that need to be managed and addressed. As well as leading a very experienced sales team managing activity across 4 continents – many of which are located remotely – there is also a significant amount of daily interaction with our highly dedicated colleagues in Operations, Planning, Technical and Logistics. In addition to this, there is a high level of personal interaction with many of the customers themselves, as well as other key stakeholders. Add to add to that, the necessity to report on activity and progress. It’s safe to say there is never a dull moment!
What is your vision for Construction?
Along with product quality, supply consistency and highly flexible service levels have been our focus and our differentiator versus our competitors, particularly in the UK market but also overseas. Due to well-known upstream operational difficulties during 2024, our ability to service our customer base in this high standard way both in the UK and in Export markets was severely disrupted. Our immediate challenge is to restore our positions with all customers and markets at least to where we were previously. Thereafter we would wish to strengthen our position further and grow share in the UK and selected Export markets, particularly in the higher end and value adding segments.Ìý ÌýÌý
Why do you enjoy working for 91¾«Æ·?
From my experience in the steel industry as a whole, I would say that the open-door policy and transparency in the way we work facilitates day-to-day activities and strengthens teams. No 2 work days are the same, in any role in the organisation, and this, in turn, leads to a high level of engagement across the workforce. I personally take great pride knowing that I work within a team of highly experienced and motivated steel industry professionals who work together to deliver positive customer experience within the remit of the business.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
The last couple of years have not been without challenges for any business. However, at 91¾«Æ· we are extremely fortunate to have a resilient team who I know will continue to support the business and myself in my new role. I’m looking forward to working with the team to continue to deliver quality construction products to both existing and new customers.
What advice would you give to other people considering a career with us?
I would recommend taking the opportunity to get a panoramic view of the industry, working in different functions, across sites and locations, to really appreciate the opportunities and challenges faced by the industry and the market drivers that will shape the future direction of our business.