Local flooring company appoints new soft flooring manager
Local flooring company appoints new soft flooring manager
Nickey Pringle recently joined the FloorworX team as the Softflooring Manager. Nickey’s experience in the industry, her leadership style and design philosophy make her a perfect fit for the company and she is excited about her new role in the business.
Nickey’s career in the design sector and built environment dates back to 1996 when she worked as an architectural specification representative for M Schaartz Carpets. She has been in the industry for 22 years of which 15 years were spent on the contracting side of the business and the remainder in carpet manufacturing.
Nickey says that she is passionate about the specification side of her job as well as dealing with customers.
“The relationships that I’ve built over the past two decades continue to serve me to this day. In South Africa, customer service excellence is of paramount importance and few things can compare to a strong, trusting relationship between a flooring supplier and a client,” says Nickey.
She views her leadership style is one of guidance and mentorship: “I give my trust to people upfront and I allow them the opportunity to experiment, grow and to make mistakes. Being able to take risks in a safe environment is where the real innovation happens. It’s important to remember that everyone has their own ideas and styles of working so you need to give people the freedom to develop their careers and interests in their own way.”
Nickey adds that the culture at FloorworX as well as their wide range of products is what sets them apart from other companies in the industry.
“The way that FloorworX is run and the way they treat their staff shines through in every part of their business; FloorworX is very focused on empowering employees and treats people like family. They also have a full basket of products to offer clients which makes them a one-stop-shop in the sector –something that clients continue to appreciate,” says Nickey.
“As a new person heading up a new department in the business, I was able to fit into the culture and the environment easily. Many of us have similar personalities and there is a lot of humanity within the team. We gel really well,” she adds.
Nickey’s core focus will be boosting the Desso* range of carpeting within the South African flooring space. She is passionate about the product because much of what the company stands for resonates with her design philosophy and her ethics.
“Desso is an international carpeting brand and it is the no.2 carpeting product in Europe. All of their products carry the Cradle-to-Cradle* certification and are free from any chemical components and toxins that could harm the environment or people. Desso’s design philosophy is not just about creating carpets in a bunch of colours – they are very much focused on enhancing their products with quality textures and looking at ways to create beautiful, liveable environments indoors. I look forward to exploring new opportunities for the Desso range in South Africa and working with the FloorworX team,” says Nickey.
FAQ with Nickey Pringle
Proudest moment in your career?
I have had many proud moments in my career, however my proudest moment was when Donald Platt approached me for the position of heading up the soft flooring division for FloorworX. Meeting me once and identifying my value and potential in a random conversation was a “WOW” moment for me.
The most important lesson you learnt early in your career?
Life is not about winning or losing, it’s all about living and learning.
An essential key to innovative thinking? And Why?
Focus on long term success. By investigating and uncovering new ways to do things, not just in a specific business model but also adapting to change and introducing something new or different to what already exists in the market will lead you to having the edge in the industry. This competitive edge will lead to more opportunities which in turn will help you expand your business. Innovative thinking is an approach and having the upper-hand in forward, creative thinking will ensure that you are solving problems in a strategic, different way. Being one step ahead of your competitor is where you need to be.
One of the greatest challenges facing the industry is…
Price is key in South Africa. As a reputable local manufacturer who is celebrating our 65th year within the industry, we also import quality products from various manufacturers overseas. We ensure that we source the best products at the best prices possible and these products come with warranties and guarantees. The greatest challenges we are facing are the less expensive, poor quality products that are infiltrating the market. When these products fail, it creates a negative perception of a particular flooring solution. It’s the typical “penny wise, pound foolish” scenario which means that companies are left doing damage control and reputation management on products that they don’t even sell. Another equally important challenge is that we are not getting enough “new blood” into the industry. Many business owners have no succession plan for their companies and it will be a sad state of affairs if the extensive knowledge they have gained over the years is lost instead of being passed on to someone else.
What problems can you solve for a specifier?
With my vocational experience and knowledge gained within contracting and manufacturing in the industry over the past 22 years, I believe I have the expertise to assist specifiers with the correct flooring solution to suite their client’s needs. I can also guide them on “loopholes” prior to specifying or installation so that they can get the most bang for their buck. I have extensive product knowledge and technical expertise, I’m well informed on the opposition’s products and I can offer alternatives or equivalents. I can also do on-site measuring, draw up a detailed plan of the areas measured and I can read drawings and estimate too.
Being in charge of the Desso brand puts me in the ideal position to find the perfect solution for clients. Desso has 100 ranges, so there is a range for every type of specification.
For more information on the Tarkett Desso Carpet Collections, contact Nicky Pringle on +27 (82) 926 5156 or npringle@floorworx.co.za.
*Desso and Cradle to Cradle are registered trademarks
