"I'M DELIGHTED TO JOIN BLUEBAY"
Carl Stokes joins Bluebay as Business Development Manager, bringing extensive expertise in technical frameworks, sales systems, and national installations. In his new role, he will drive national growth and strengthen relationships with key clients across the construction and civil engineering sectors.
Here, Carl shares what excites him most about the opportunity ahead…
I’m delighted to be joining the Bluebay team, connecting with our wide client base, understanding their needs, and helping to deliver the right solutions.
My career has taken me from working alongside civil engineers, to my previous role as a National Sales Manager selling modular framing systems - in which I was involved in projects from the initial design and planning stages right through to completion.
It’s this bigger-picture thinking that I’m keen to bring to my role at Bluebay and, although I’ll be working with different products, it’s the customer connections I’m most looking forward to.
Being part of a great story
I first came across Bluebay around 20 years ago; a former colleague spoke very highly of Bluebay's integrity and longstanding client relationships.
It shows the company's inspiring environment is well-known, with its recenct successes equally well documented. The acquisition by Wolseley, senior appointments and product expansion mean I’m joining at a very exciting time, and there’s a real sense of enthusiasm as we tap into our shared experience to expand our reach.
My role
As Bluebay’s first appointed Midlands Development Manager, my focus will be on enhancing the customer experience in my region and venturing into new towns and cities.
I’m intent on building relationships – showing clients they can rely on me and the wider team. I’ll be spending a lot of time visiting customers, getting to know their individual needs, and tailoring our support accordingly, but I’m also looking forward to spreading the Bluebay word and building on the brand’s excellent reputation in the industry.
Beyond the day job
I'm married to Charlotte who I try to spend as much quality time with as possible, and I’m a keen – if time-poor – golfer, thanks to the activities of my three children, Harry, Arthur, and Chloe. Harry and Arthur both play football, and I’m proud to manage Harry’s team, while Chloe, at 25, is now far more independent.
Overall, I’m excited to get stuck in and connect with the companies we can support. There’s a real buzz here, and no two days are ever the same – one of the things I enjoy most about the job.
Ultimately, I’m looking forward to getting to know more of my colleagues and contributing to the Bluebay legacy of high performance, agility, and excellent customer service.
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY; BLUEBAY PROUDLY SPONSORS LOCAL GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL TEAM
We’ve loaned our support to local grassroots football team, Washington FC U14’s Tigers. The team, which is coached by our Senior Sales Executive for the North, Shaun Gale has shown serious prowess on the pitch this past year, winning 11 of 18 games and scoring 96 goals.
Bluebay’s sponsorship will provide the team with much needed new equipment and kit such as training balls, as well as funding towards being able to play home games in poor weather. Ordinarily in these circumstances, games must be played at alternative venues such as Washington's state-of-the-art football hub which incurs an additional cost for the team for pitch hire and referee fees. This year alone that has resulted in eight missed games due to lack of available funds which is why we’re delighted to be stepping in with some support.
Shaun tells us: “I’m incredibly grateful for Bluebay’s support. Coaching the Tigers is a huge passion of mine, and it can be pretty heartbreaking not being able to play our games due to rain and waterlogged pitches. This sponsorship will completely change that. It’s tough as the club is responsible for over 90 youth teams so it’s down to each individual team to garner their own reinforcement where they can.
“I feel very fortunate that I work for a company who is keen to help and support their employees in this way.”
Our Managing Director Lucy Furnival adds: “We’re proud to support grassroots football - a vital and collaborative community effort which encourages young people to stay active and learn new skills.
“It’s wonderful to see one of our colleagues commit to this young team and give so much of his free time. Rest assured that all of us at Bluebay will be cheering the Tigers on next season, and wish the very best of luck to all the players.”
The Tigers sponsorship is just one of our initiatives to create a positive social impact with Bluebay also sponsoring the Band of Builders charity. Read more on that here.
BLUEBAY STRENGTHENS NATIONAL TEAM WITH KEY APPOINTMENTS
Bluebay Building Products – one of the UK’s leading independent distributors of specialist civil engineering and construction products – has further strengthened its national team with two strategic appointments: Kara Windsor as Head of Major Projects, and Carl Stokes as Business Development Manager.
The appointments follow other senior arrivals, including National Sales Director Emma Ward and Finance Director Mark Siney – all forming part of Bluebay’s wider strategy to expand its footprint across the UK construction sector.
Bringing extensive sector experience from senior roles at SIG plc, Kara will focus on supporting clients working on the UK’s largest and most complex infrastructure schemes across power, water, and transport. She commented: "Bluebay has built a strong reputation for delivering specialist products into nationally significant infrastructure projects. I’m excited to build on that capability, support our major clients, and help position Bluebay as a partner of choice for large-scale schemes."
Also joining the team is Carl Stokes, who takes up the role of Business Development Manager. Carl will focus on driving national growth and developing relationships with key clients across the construction and civil engineering sectors.
Managing Director Lucy Furnival highlighted the importance of the appointments: "Kara and Carl bring the expertise, ambition, and client focus we need to expand Bluebay’s national presence. Alongside our other senior appointments this Summer, these roles strengthen our leadership team and underpin our plans for growth, ensuring we can continue delivering exceptional service and technical expertise to clients across the UK."
Bluebay has depots in Cardiff, Luton, Thurrock, Warrington and Gateshead, offering a comprehensive range of specialist building products, technical support, and tailored solutions for complex projects.
"WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY"
We’re delighted to introduce Kara Windsor as our first Head of Major Projects here at Bluebay. The newly created position marks an exciting time of growth and innovation for the company, with Kara bringing a wealth of experience in managing complex projects throughout her career.
Here, she shares her ambitions and plans to support clients working on the UK’S largest and most intricate infrastructure schemes across power, water, and transport.
I’m delighted to join the Bluebay team, especially at a time of rapid growth and expansion; we are the ones to watch!
It’s an exciting time for our industry; in the next decade, the government is investing £500bn in infrastructure across the UK, so we have a real opportunity to be one of the leading players in sectoring out projects and immersing ourselves in all areas across rail, water, utilities, aviation and transport.
I already feel welcome, and it helps that I know a few members of the team from crossovers throughout my career. It’s wonderful to be here and see first-hand the ambition and a culture of people keen on growth. I foresee processing major projects and building on the industry relationships I’ve cultivated over the years to exponentially assist our strategy for growth.
My background as Head of Rail for the last five years has positioned me well to lead a project from its fruition like I did with HS2. I’m very much a hands-on person and like to be visible on site so I can really meet the needs of each project. I’m very much there to link the process and put together plans of what people need before they know they need it!
I love this part of the job and getting to know people from all walks of life. Predicting what each project will need is a huge strength for us, we can add real value getting certifications in place and doing everything we can as a company to support a project and essentially making everyone else’s jobs easier. I also love that every day is different, I’m not one to stand still and love nothing more than a big team working hard to achieve the same goal.
Built to deliver
Bluebay is brilliantly positioned to execute efficient delivery thanks to its five depots across the UK. Strong brand relationships and extensive product ranges mean we can excellently manage the supply and demand chain that our clients rely on.
It is this proactivity and efficiency that put the company on my radar. I can identify a project’s hurdles and provide clarity with how Bluebay can assist them in overcoming them with absolute confidence that the infrastructure is in place to be able to deliver. There’s so much opportunity to place ourselves as providers of an invaluable service and I can’t wait to get going.
Outside of work, I’m Mum to my 14-year-old daughter Alina, and I have two horses which means 5am starts and hay in my hair!
“CONSTRUCTION HAS NEVER BEEN MORE COLLABORATIVE, AMBITIOUS OR OPEN TO INNOVATION”
All eyes were on construction in recent days as the industry gathered for UK Construction Week, with leaders debating the challenges and opportunities shaping a fast-changing sector.
Our Managing Director Lucy Furnival kept track of the conversations, and in this blog she reflects on the key themes and what lies ahead.
Construction has changed a lot over the course of my career, but this year the conversation has been particularly focused on growth. That feels very relevant for me personally; I stepped into the role of Managing Director at Bluebay in January, dovetailing with our acquisition by The Wolseley Group, which set us up for an exciting new chapter.
Since then, I’ve been building a brilliant team. I’ve welcomed Emma Ward as our National Sales Director and Mark Siney as Finance Director, alongside an array of talented colleagues across the business. We’ve also strengthened our product offer through partnerships with global brands like Rawlplug and Nevoga.
For me, growth is about more than scale. We’re evolving beyond being a product supplier, working with our customers much earlier in their projects – advising on specification and installation – to make sure our solutions help them deliver on their priorities. That could be everything from sustainability targets, compliance with changing legislation, or efficiency on site.
It’s encouraging that many of these same themes platformed at UK Construction Week; the skills shortage and the need to build a capable workforce is a priority I feel strongly about, especially as we’ve welcomed so many new colleagues this year. Product standards and the outcomes of the Construction Products Green Paper reform are also on everyone’s minds, and rightly so.
As the week draws to a close, I feel optimistic. Construction has never been more collaborative, ambitious, or open to innovation. The conversations I saw from afar this week reflect how far we’ve come – but also how much more we can achieve.
At Bluebay, we’re ready to play our part in that future: by growing strong teams, building lasting partnerships, and supporting our customers through change.
"I LOVE WORKING AT BLUEBAY!"
As UK Construction Week continues, we’re shining a spotlight on more of our brilliant colleagues. Today, it's Mohammed Akhtar, who tells us about his much loved life as a delivery driver for Bluebay.
I wasn’t always in construction but I have always been a driver, with my last role delivering clothes for Next; that job was ok but not something I had a huge passion for.
Last year, the agency I worked for suggested I apply for a driver’s role at Bluebay – highlighting a happy working culture, a growing business and positive staff feedback. So I took the advice and here I am, a year into my brilliant role at Bluebay.
At first, I didn’t fully grasp the whole product range, but that quickly changed and I’m now confident in my knowledge, especially with the help of the brilliant warehouse team.
Then there’s the projects too; I love delivering to the many sites Bluebay is involved in – some of them are so large they’re like towns, but the planning team are super strategic, so my routes are very well planned and my days run smoothly and efficiently.
The ethos at Bluebay is to get the job done right first time, so nothing is rushed and we’re methodical and organised before anything leaves the depot. This is a really nice aspect of my job as making sure our customers have everything they need, delivered on time, is of great importance to both the company and me personally.
Talking about my role during UK Construction Week has made me realise just how much I have loved the past year, and I hope to be with the Bluebay team for a long time to come. I’ve already seen so many changes in just 12 months – and since the company was taken over by The Wolseley Group, my role has expanded further, so I’m looking forward to what the future will bring.
Construction is definitely an industry I want to work in for the long-term and being a part of the Bluebay family genuinely makes each working day a pleasure to complete.
"IT'S AN EXCITING TIME FOR BLUEBAY, AND THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR!"
All this week – as part of UK Construction Week – we’ll be hearing from our brilliant Bluebay colleagues, each sharing what they love about the construction industry. That includes Norman Cilliers, who reflects on his life in construction and shares why he’s excited about the future at Bluebay.
I began my career in construction back in South Africa, working on the retail side of the industry. In the 1990s, I travelled overseas and pursued another passion: becoming a golf professional. I spent 15 years in the golfing industry, but in 2016 I decided to return to construction – and it’s been a huge part of my life ever since.
Reflecting on that during UK Construction Week has been fun, especially in my much-loved role at Bluebay. I first applied here for the role of depot manager in Luton. I like to think I got the job because I interviewed well and brought plenty of construction experience from South Africa – not the golf, I hasten to add!
That said, running my own business as a golf professional for 15 years gave me a strong business edge. It’s a mindset I carry into my work at Bluebay, always striving to go above and beyond, especially for our customers who invest in our knowledge and service.
Fast forward nine years, and I’m still here. The industry has changed dramatically since I first started. The introduction of new technologies has transformed construction, enhancing the way projects are delivered. Every build is different, and the need to adapt and develop keeps me motivated in my role.
Personally, I’ve grown through experiences working with a variety of clients, from housebuilders to tier-one national contracts including HS2. Each project brings different challenges, and overcoming them is what drives me. I love working with people, and customer satisfaction is what I really enjoy, we do a job and do it to the best of our ability, and seeing the results of that hard work come to fruition is hugely rewarding.
At Bluebay, we’ve seen big changes too, changes that have helped us respond to the pace of the industry. Being taken over by The Wolseley Group in January for example has brought huge opportunities and created visible company-wide and personal growth. While the appointment of our Managing Director Lucy Furnival back at the start of the year signalled the start of big team growth too.
It’s an exciting time to be at Bluebay, and an exciting time for the construction sector. I’m very positive about the changes so far and those still to come.
"FOR ME, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE"
It’s UK Construction Week, a time when leaders are debating the challenges and opportunities that shape a fast-changing sector.
We’re spending the week hearing from our brilliant Bluebay colleagues, each of them telling us what they love about the construction industry. This afternoon, it’s the turn of Emma Ward who reflects on 25 years in the sector.
I joined Bluebay earlier this year as Sales Director, and it feels like I’ve found the industry’s best-kept secret!
I landed in construction completely by accident, answering phones for my friend’s husband’s business. Fast-forward 25 years, and I’m still here.
I’ve seen the sector change enormously over the years. When I first started, it was predominantly male, which certainly brought its challenges. Today, though, the industry feels far more diverse, with a much broader range of people and perspectives represented. One thing that has remained constant – and something I really value – is the straightforward way people in construction communicate. There’s no sugar-coating, no fuss, just honesty and clarity.
Finding the perfect position
I’ve moved around in my career – from internal sales to head of supply chain, to sales director, to running my own consultancy. I’m always looking for opportunities to grow and experience more. I thrive on being around people at all levels and getting properly stuck in, and in my role at Bluebay I get to do just that.
My career highs aren’t about profit margins or results – it was the day I sat in a huge meeting with my team and saw them all shine in their own ways. For me, it’s always about the people; I love helping others approach things differently, no matter how big the project is.
The culture at Bluebay
What’s really special about Bluebay is the culture. From the moment I joined, I felt I could be completely myself here. I’d long admired our MD Lucy Furnival and was genuinely thrilled at the chance to work for a female leader - again a reflection of how the sector’s changed. She’s nurtured an atmosphere that's so positive and supportive, and there’s a real belief in celebrating what people are achieving.
Bluebay has it all – the people, the structure, and the products. I’m genuinely excited for what the future holds, and I’m proud to be part of the journey.
"CONSTRUCTION IS AN INDUSTRY THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER”
It's UK Construction Week, a period in which our colleagues are reflecting on their construction careers.
We start today with Tori Walker, one of our rising stars who works closely with our Solco brand – specialists in structural waterproofing, gas protection, and building chemical solutions for the construction and civil engineering markets. Known for its trusted technical expertise and design support, Solco helps contractors across the UK deliver with confidence.
Tori knew from a young age that construction was her future. Since completing her Construction A-level, she’s thrown herself into the industry – building a career full of passion, ambition, and promise.
“I was always fascinated with how buildings stay up”
Construction has always been fascinating to me. I’ve got a curious mind and like to piece together how things work. As a child I was always intrigued with how a building stays up, wondering how windows could support the weight of the building above it. It was that curiosity that made me quite certain of my career path.
It’s a vast sector of course and there are so many avenues to explore, from designing to building everything from residential to commercial projects. It quite literally shapes our world and covers a huge range of skills so there is something for everyone - it’s not just busy building sites and scaffolding!
Life purpose
For me, the joy has always been about the technical drawing and putting on paper the specifics of how to create a building born from someone’s imagination. The intricacies of what is needed to achieve someone’s creative ambition and a blueprint to make it possible.
I started at Bluebay earlier this year, and the range of projects we cover is really inspiring. I work closely with my colleagues Pete and Paul, who establish the initial needs of the client, however I really enjoy going on site too as it helps me to visualise the reality of what I’m drawing. Working on a computer is great, but there’s nothing like being on site to really understand real life challenges that you can only see first-hand.
Being on site helps you appreciate the intricacies of what we do and how it takes so many people to accomplish a shared goal. That’s the reality of construction, we are all cogs in a huge wheel.
Paving the way
I’ve always wanted to work in this industry so at age 14 I did a GSCE in construction; as the only girl in a class of 20 you’d think I’d be put off, but the technical drawing really appealed to me and gave me the chance to design buildings.
Then followed an A-level in construction, and my first entry level job and now Bluebay! My days here are spent drawing, creating a visual for our clients so they can see how our products achieve their desired results.
Bluebay is a great place to work - I’d been made redundant previously and within 48 hours, Lucy, our MD (a great advocate for women in this sector!) had contacted me and offered me a position which I didn’t hesitate to accept.
It’s a small sector so connections cross over and personal reputations count for a lot. Construction is an industry that brings people together - no matter which area you specialise in, everyone is on the same team. At Bluebay there’s a real culture of trust and support which I’ve not experienced before - it’s this that makes it a breath of fresh air.
I’m looking forward to getting stuck into more projects and testing myself with more complex projects. I wouldn’t want to work in any other industry.
BLUEBAY STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR
Bluebay Building Products – one of the UK’s leading independent distributors of specialist civil engineering and construction products – has appointed Mark Siney as Finance Director, reinforcing the company’s senior leadership team as it embarks on its next stage of growth.
Mark will oversee all financial operations, driving efficiency and supporting the company in its national expansion plans. He brings extensive financial and commercial experience from across the construction and capital sectors, where he worked closely with businesses undergoing rapid growth and transformation, most recently at Sandfield Capital.
His appointment marks another step in strengthening the senior leadership team under Managing Director Lucy Furnival, who took up her role in January 2025 and has since set a clear strategy to expand Bluebay’s UK presence and sharpen its specialist product offer.
Commenting on his new role, Mark said: “Bluebay is in an exciting period of growth, with clear ambitions to strengthen its position in the UK construction sector.
“Lucy has set a bold and strategic direction for the business, and I’m delighted to play a part in driving that. I’m particularly looking forward to working with the team to ensure our financial structures and processes enable the innovation and customer service that Bluebay is already known for.”
Managing Director Lucy Furnival added: “Mark’s track record in supporting ambitious, fast-growing businesses will be invaluable as we scale nationally and continue to invest in people, products, and partnerships. I’m delighted to welcome him to the team.”
Mark’s appointment follows the arrival of National Sales Director Emma Ward earlier this summer, reflecting Bluebay’s ongoing commitment to building a leadership team with the skills and experience to deliver sustained growth.
Bluebay has depots in Cardiff, Luton, Thurrock, Warrington and Gateshead, offering a comprehensive range of specialist building products, technical support, and tailored solutions for complex projects.