profile
Malcolm Gough
Having worked in the building industry for over 35 years, Malcolm has a broad and comprehensive knowledge of the sector, and a wealth of industry experience.
Malcolm joined the building products trade as Tarmac’s youngest sales representative selling sand and gravel to builders merchants. He ran the commercial sales team at Marshalls plc before joining Saint-Gobain/Jewson/Greenworks for 8 years. Later he moved to Natural Paving (UK) Ltd, where he helped take it to become the leading natural stone brand in just 4 years.
In 2017, Malcolm led the creation of the Talasey Ltd corporate entity under which Natural Paving and all of its sub brands now sit.
Talasey Group is the UK’s leading independent supplier of landscaping solutions.
The Talasey Group brings together a diverse and high quality range of landscaping products, providing designers, landscape architects, installers and home owners with a one stop shop from which to create inspired outdoor living spaces. The collection is one of the UK’s largest ranges of landscaping materials, with options to suit all tastes, projects and budgets:
Natural Paving: The very best, ethically sourced and CE marked natural stone landscaping materials from across the world. The majority of the stone is Indian sandstone, which follows a careful journey they oversee from quarry to your garden. In addition, the range also offers Chinese quartz and Portuguese granite.
Vitripiazza: Vitrified porcelain paving is carefully sourced from Italy which is renowned for its superior quality vitrified porcelain.
Baksteen: A Dutch range of cosmopolitan handmade clay pavers and bricks.
Luxigraze: High quality artificial grass and extensive range of installation and cleaning accessories.
Pavetuf: Landscaping installation, maintenance and cleaning products.
Resiscape: A resin bound aggregate system with a complementary range of installation accessories.
Talasey Ltd is an active members of the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI).
Launched in 2015, the award winning monthly Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report is the only reliable measure of repair, maintenance & improvement (RMI) activity in the UK. Filling an important gap, it can be widely used in construction, and by economists, Government, national media, commentators and influencers outside the industry.
Talasey Group Comment: Q4 2020
Malcolm Gough, Group Sales & Marketing Director Talasey Group is BMBI’s Expert for Natural Stone Landscaping Products, Vitrified Paving & Artificial Grass.
Demand for landscaping materials was very strong in Q4 2020. By the end of 2020, Talasey achieved annual sales well above expectations. Other landscaping firms also grew.
But now, in Q1 2021, the industry is at the epicentre of shipping problems from an unholy combination of Covid, Brexit, and container shortages. It’s a global shipping problem, so freight costs have risen to ridiculous levels for everyone, and it is not letting up. Some freight companies are even avoiding the UK due to long delays and excess paperwork. All areas in our sector are affected, and end users will inevitably be paying more for their landscaping products in 2021. Despite this we got every pack of stone we could get over the water in Q4 as we predicted stock would be king in Q1 with demand not letting up.
We kept shipping throughout December, even though it has been costly for us. Strategically that was a good decision because suppliers with stock on the ground can better support merchants. Merchants say, having stock on the ground is a priority and being put on a back-order waiting list does not generate sales.
High shipping costs and delays affect all our ranges coming from other countries like China, Italy, and Turkey. So, composite decking, porcelain and artificial grass could all be affected but having the foresight to build large stock reserves of these products we should be able to weather the storm until shipping prices soften. Companies who have not planned for this could be affected by having no stock or large price increases.
Customers are learning to adapt and increasing their knowledge about the ranges of products that are more easily available, for example considering porcelain as an alternative to sandstone. For ourselves, we have helped customers to get clear product information online and this will continue. We also have a strong marketing team assisting merchants with online images and product data. Feedback shows merchants appreciate this help and support.
It is still early in the landscaping season, but we’re already seeing merchants stocking up for what we expect will be a bumper 2021.