Vicky Davies is purchasing manager with Richard Burbidge Ltd in Oswestry, Shropshire.
“During my Business Management degree I worked a few days a week first in quality control and then purchasing in different sectors. I joined Richard Burbidge as a trainee manager and was able to continue with my Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply training and eventually to do a Masters in Procurement. The company has a professional attitude to management and staff development. It has also provided me with a good foundation in timber knowledge through taking the IWSc Timber Studies Award. “There are two distinct sides to my job as a purchasing manager: raw materials and finished products. On the finished products side my team source items like cast metal components, which can be seen in our stair and decking ranges. With raw materials I buy sawn timber, which we then use to manufacture consumer products. Some 90% of this is softwood; 10% is hardwood: responsible timber sourcing is very much part of my work. On that topic I think there is still work to be done in developing countries but as an industry, timber supply has come on in leaps and bounds in environmentally and socially responsible purchasing.
“I’m also involved in product development, working on project teams alongside colleagues from the technical, development, marketing and manufacturing departments. I believe the timber sector needs to show more enthusiasm for product design. These aren’t just planks of wood we’re dealing with: they’re part of creative, exciting products and the possibilities are limitless.”
