A Glassolutions Rising Star

After her announcement as a finalist for Rising Star of the Year at this year’s G Awards 2024 , we sat down with the Branch Manager of the Glassolutions Aberdeen branch, Cara Shepherd , to discuss her reaction to the nomination and her journey through the industry.

Q: Congratulations on your Rising Star nomination at the G24-Awards, Cara! Can you tell us how it felt to be nominated?

CS: It was a surprise! I didn't know I'd been nominated; it was David Evans , Glassolutions’ Operations Director, who nominated me, and he kept it a secret until the finalists were announced, so it was a real shock!

Being in Aberdeen, it can sometimes feel a long way away from the other Glassolutions branches. So, it was lovely to know that we’re still being recognised and rewarded for our hard work, because this nomination isn’t just about me – it’s a reflection of the success of the whole Aberdeen team.

In fact, the Aberdeen branch won Showroom of the Year at the G19 Awards, so we have a good track record with the G-Awards. My predecessor, Mike, went to the ceremony that year whilst I was on maternity leave.

So, it’s lovely to have the opportunity to not just attend the ceremony this year, but also to be nominated!

Q: Can you talk us through your background at Glassolutions? What lead up to this point?

CS: I started at Glassolutions in 2005 as an Office Administrator. A few years later I became a Customer Service Administrator, and really started to get to know the customer base and gain more knowledge about the product and the market.

I continued to develop and progress, whilst also having two children. Glassolutions were wonderful with my maternity leave and flexibility when I came back to work, which really made a huge difference.

And then last year, when the previous Branch Manager retired, I was offered the role. I accepted it straight away – there’s nowhere else I’d rather be!

Q: So, in the 19 years that you’ve been with Glassolutions, how have you seen your branch change in that time? And how has the industry changed in that time?

CS: So, the Aberdeen branch relocated to a new site in May 2018, which was a huge event for us. We moved into a larger premises, and that gave us the opportunity to develop things like our showroom, which obviously became very successful.

The market, I would say, has always had its ups and downs – as is the case with any industry. But where we’ve been able to succeed is that our reputation and our rapport with our customers means that we have a very loyal client base in Aberdeen – and throughout all of the Glassolutions branches, in fact. ?

We’ve got really good relationships with our customers. When the market has dipped, they’ve been honest and open with us about their needs and challenges, and we’ve worked with them and adapted to continue to meet their requirements.

We cover a challenging geographical area in the Northeast of Scotland. We go as far North as Dornoch, which is right towards the very tip of Scotland, and we also deliver glass to the Shetland Islands on stillages.

So, we’re constantly looking at new ways to support our customers with flexible deliveries and innovative solutions, in order to help their business flourish and grow.

Q: You were Glassolutions’ first female Branch Manager. How has that experience been for you?

CS: It’s been really good. Whilst I was the first, I’m not the only woman at the helm of a branch now, as we also have Tracey [Reagan] at Cardiff who has taken over as Branch Manager, which is great to see.

When I was growing up, I always had really strong female presences in my life. And this has extended to my career too. So, for example, I have Lisa Dunn [Glassolutions Customer Solutions Director] who has been a strong female leader for me in my career, and personally too.

But from the off, since the moment I accepted the Branch Manager role at Glassolutions, I have felt really supported. The other Branch Managers have all been really supportive.

And you know, I'm all for girl power! I've got a daughter, and I want her to be able to achieve no matter what industry she chooses to work in. So, whilst glass has traditionally been seen as a male dominated sector, my advice would be that if you put your mind to something, you can achieve it – no matter your gender.

Q: What has been the proudest moment of your Glassolutions career so far?

CS: I think it’s how far I’ve come.

When I reflect on when I started at Glassolutions as an Office Administrator, I just never envisaged that I would become the Manager of the branch. And certainly not the first woman in the business to become a Branch Manager! So that is a real point of pride for me.

Q: And what is your favourite thing about working for Glassolutions?

CS: It sounds cliché, but it’s the people. My team here in Aberdeen, as well as the staff at the other Glassolutions branches.

It has that family feel. Particularly for us in Aberdeen - I know that we're work colleagues, but it goes a bit deeper than that. There are only five of us at the site – three office workers, one operative and one driver – so you become friends as well as work colleagues.

The other thing for me is the support that you receive. I feel really supported by Dave [Evans] and Lisa [Dunn] and they’re always so approachable.

As I said previously, being based in Northern Scotland, you're away from the noise. Most of the meetings I have with people are on Teams as it takes a long time for us to travel to the other branches from up here. But having that constant line of communication with Dave and Lisa makes the world of difference and makes me feel so supported.

Q: What do you think sets Glassolutions apart from its competitors in the market?

CS: It’s the customer service, without a doubt.

We’re always trying to find solutions for customers, trying to get better lead times, better prices. And the Glassolutions model really facilitates that – we have these interconnected branches that support one another, so we are never alone.

We don’t work in silo, and that means that we are in a great position to offer really amazing customer service, across all of our branches.

Q: And finally, how do you foresee the future for Glassolutions Aberdeen?

CS: We really work hard to support our customers, and adapt to their changing needs, and that is something we will obviously continue to do in the future.

In line with that, we've also now started selling new products that we didn't previously offer – things like heritage units and toughened laminate. That opens up new opportunities for our customers and allows them to capitalise on different areas of the market.

And that’s all whilst still only using one supplier – we can offer everything a customer needs from our Aberdeen branch, as a true one-stop-shop.

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