Laura Sockett, Commercial Director

“I’ve had the opportunity of working with some really incredible teams throughout my 16-year career and I was really drawn to the culture of Minster. As two businesses, Minster and Frazer might be unique in their market proposition, but as a broader team they share the same values and ambition which creates a really robust structure for future success. I’ve been fortunate in my career to have experienced a broad range of disciplines – from pricing to technical support and from category management to business development, yet it’s the opportunity of leading a great team of people that really attracted me to this role.”

Laura is no stranger to the world of branch-led operations having worked for several years for SIG Plc and more recently Keyline and feels this experience has strengthened her commercial capability, as Laura explains: “I’m one of those people that likes to understand the detail of how something works, but equally, as I’ve advanced my career I’ve come to really value and appreciate the power of teamwork and that really, it’s the impact of good, constructive relationships that make the difference to a project’s success. As we transition to the STARK Group, undoubtedly, we will need to integrate new procedures into our working practices, but I see this as a tremendous opportunity to further align our two brands and build a strong, agile and resilient infrastructure for the future.  What I’m keen to ensure is that we remain focused on empowering our colleagues to continue making a difference to every single interaction they have, whether that’s with other colleagues, or with customers and suppliers.  Our uniqueness is what defines us, and that alone, will underpin our future success.”

With the ongoing volatility in the UK and global economy over the next 12-18 months, the construction industry will continue to bear the brunt of the fallout, but Laura remains optimistic that both distribution brands will continue to deliver growth, she expands: “It’s a tough time, nobody is arguing that. When reflecting on Minster, last year the business launched its fire protection range, supported by a really effective marketing strategy. Unsurprisingly, Minster is seeing fantastic results in this category at a time when the industry needs straight-forward, timely solutions. That’s the real advantage of Minster, structured in such a way that it is highly responsive to change.

“Beyond the immediate economic challenge, the UK construction industry has some big issues to navigate – from the building of affordable homes to the delivery of significant carbon reduction programmes – we’ve got a big job on our hands and it’s one that we must not shy away from. From a people perspective, I am proud to have joined a business that takes seriously the importance of creating a construction industry that is both diverse and inclusive and I have no doubt that under the guidance and direction of the STARK Group, we will make progress in this area, faster.”


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