About Peninsula Home Improvements
Peninsula Home Improvements is a family business founded in 1984; a welcome note from Ken Grayson, CEO:
I have personally worked at Peninsula Home Improvements since 1995. My father founded the company in 1984 in Pwllheli, on the beautiful Llyn Peninsula (hence the name) in North Wales, following the emergence of the then fledgling PVCu window industry. I spent the first couple of years digging and building conservatory bases with one of Peninsula’s original installers, Dyfed Williams, who is proudly still here with us today as our most senior installer. We were recently reminiscing about all the foundations we dug, and the concrete we poured by hand with not a digger or concrete delivery in sight! Since then I have occupied most of the positions at the company from installation to sales and design and servicing, to my current role as CEO; gaining a very well-rounded experience in our sector in the process.
My aim was to focus on evolving the then 15-year old PVCu manufacturing and installation company, by diversifying into many other markets including garage doors, glass balconies, eco-extensions and garden pods to name a few. More recently Peninsula has partnered with the world renowned German manufacturer Solarlux, who specialise in highly engineered glasshouses, Winter Gardens and folding door systems which boast the highest available performance specifications in the world. Soon after we have also partnered with NorDan windows in order to offer the highest weather rated alu-clad timber windows and doors. Our strategy has been to deliver the ‘Grand Designs’ type glazing and extensions for people who aspire to have the best and these partnerships have enabled us to do so.
Dylan Hulse joined the company in 2004 when he started in field sales. He has also grown with the company being promoted to Director, and in 2014 to the position of Managing Director. He heads up the day to day operational aspects of the company and is my right-hand man and shareholder, and has full decision making autonomy operationally. He oversees and directly manages the quickly expanding survey, installations and service department both in North Wales and Cheshire. Our idea of success is that all parties involved in any contract (which could range from a changing a pane of glass to a full-blown project managed extension), walk away from the completed job feeling satisfied that all aims’ and objectives have been met, and all involved parties feeling that value has been achieved. His company knowledge and instinct is essential in making that happen.
Samantha Hayter has been with the company since 2000 joining us in the role of marketing and telesales. Sam has developed with us through accounts, office management, and since 2017 to the position of Finance Director. She is a true go-to person for us all, who reports and forecasts financially in detail that we have never had before. She’s a real king-pin who has evolved into her current role so naturally. A born leader with excellent planning with much to offer.
My team of Directors have given me the essential space and support to be able to pursue the CEO role, during this time of ambitious growth. My key role now is focusing on developing strategy, company vision, corporate social responsibility, and PR communications, as well as overseeing marketing and sales with support of a newly appointed Sales and Marketing Manager Andy Longman. I also focus on building important alliances with the likes of Fron Goch Garden Centre and Chilli Penguin Stoves, which are other local family companies who share our values and aims of delivering high quality products and excellent customer service.
I could not run this company without their contributions and I am very grateful to have them all on my team.
As a socially responsibly organisation, Peninsula invests heavily in the community and has won many awards for local arts sponsorships, charitable donations, support for community groups and individual giving. Including one from the Community Foundation for Wales for our philanthropy, and Arts & Business Cymru for our contribution to local charities and arts organisations. It's vitally important for our company that we are seen as a contributor in the community in which we operate, and this forms the heart of our values and culture in a world that's full of corporate greed and ‘all for profit’ mentality. We are proud to be associated with creativity, sports and craftsmanship through all our partnerships and this helps place Peninsula far aside from the regular home improvements company.
Our aim is to continue pushing the company to the forefront of innovation, cutting edge design, high-performance and excellent service, while providing creative solutions to our clients’ needs on the many and varied exciting projects that they present us with.
We successfully offer a full package of services to our clients, which on an extension for example can involve the initial concept design, full CAD plans, seeking planning and building regulations approvals, structural engineers report, full project management of all trades, through to final decoration and clean down. We can even consult on the interior design if required.
Now in our 34th year of trading, I'm proud to be able to say that this thriving family company that I have taken over from my father and founder has continued to grow throughout recession and has been able to self-fund investment into its showrooms and infrastructure. In the last two years we have re-established new aims and targets involving ambitious growth and establishing ourselves in Cheshire which we are on track to achieve. We are in a great position to step up to the next level of success as the economy and general confidence in the sector grows with it.
We'd like to thank all our many returning customers for their continued support, and also the many new ones who find us through referrals, local architects and our marketing. Without you we'd have no business at all.
All of the team here at Peninsula look forward to an exciting future of improving homes, and hope that if we haven’t already we can improve yours soon!
Ken Grayson
CEO - Peninsula