“I have 15 years experience working for a distributor and all of that time was with Protec. The advantage of Protec is that it has a full range of products so there’s everything you need – a lot of competitors simply can’t offer that. When Protec was looking for another distributor I was happy to put my hand up and become a Select Distributor.”

Joe started from scratch in mid-2012 and, today, he has four staff – a sales representative, an administration manager, a driver and Joe’s son, Alic, who takes care of over-the-counter sales. According to Joe, it’s not just quality products that win over customers.

“We concentrate on building relationships with customers and providing them with excellent service – that’s the key. We make sure they get their orders quick-smart and, if there are any issues we can’t handle, we just ring Darren Griggs (Protec Territory Manager) who will visit the customer to help them. We get lots of compliments about our service and customers really seem to like dealing with us.”

As the business continues to grow, Joe reckons the arrival of new and improved Protec products has set the stage for some exciting times. “The response to the new Paraglaze and Carmaster ranges has been magnificent – everybody loves the new primers and clearcoats. I see a bright future – especially with the launch of the new Paraglaze Tinter System. I think everyone will be happy with it – in fact, there are quite a few shops keeping a close eye on the new Paraglaze Tinter System and thinking of switching. I think we’re going to be very busy in 2013!”