Rearo has appointed Caroline Wengel as its new HR manager.

Caroline brings a wealth of experience to Rearo, gained across diverse sectors including IT, hospitality, and food and drink. Her career spans more than three decades and includes leadership roles at prominent companies such as Compaq Computers, Hewlett Packard, and Scotland Food and Drink.

People-First Approach

In her new role, Caroline will play a pivotal role in strengthening Rearo’s commitment to its employees. This will involve overseeing all aspects of HR, with a focus on talent development, employee engagement, and fostering a positive and supportive work environment.

Caroline said: “I’m incredibly excited to join the Rearo team. I’ve always been enthusiastic about creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential. Rearo already has a strong reputation as a great employer, and I’m eager to contribute to building upon that foundation.”

Investing in the Future

One of Caroline’s top priorities will be to further develop Rearo’s apprenticeship programme. This includes formalising the training structure, broadening opportunities for skills development, and ensuring a clear pathway for career progression within the company.

Graham Mercer, managing director of Rearo, said Caroline was selected from a competitive recruitment process because of her commitment to employee well-being, organisational development, and strategic HR initiatives.

He added: “Her career trajectory reflects an enthusiastic individual who seamlessly merges business acumen with a people-centric approach.

“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Caroline to Rearo. Her passion for developing people and her commitment to fostering a positive work environment perfectly aligns with our company values.”

“Investing in our people is crucial for our continued success, and Caroline’s experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow and evolve as a business.”

The Surface Design Show, an annual pilgrimage for architects, trend setters and interior designers, unfolds at Business Design Centre in Islington, London.

It’s a curated experience, a platform where the future fabric of interior and exterior spaces is revealed through the latest innovations in surface materials.  For a company like Rearo, this show is more than just an exhibition; it’s a vital connection point. Being there lets us to showcase our craft, make new connections and stay ahead of the trend curve. This year, we unveiled our Senses kitchen range, and showed off the quality and breadth of our surfaces to a discerning audience.

It was a prime opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to providing sustainable high-quality surface solutions and to connect with the designers who set the fashions for the coming year.

What better way to demonstrate our innovation and flexibility, not to mention the quality of our products, than to create a slot-car racing track from sheets of our laminate, and introduce, for one show only, Formula R motor racing! It took a factory of skilled craftspeople, product designers and build innovators to make the dream a reality.

The Rearo team, showing off our Selkie bathroom wall panels, our Senses kitchen surfaces and our brand new commercial Washroom Cubicle Range.

Today, we’re thrilled to honour Robert Bennett for an incredible 25 years of dedicated service with Rearo Laminates! 🙌

Since joining us in 1999, Robert has been an integral part of the Rearo family, contributing his expertise, passion, and unwavering commitment to our mission of crafting high-quality surfaces. Over the years, he has played a pivotal role in shaping our success, earning the respect and admiration of colleagues and clients alike.

Robert’s journey with Rearo is a testament to his hard work and loyalty, and his contributions have left a lasting impact on our company. From tackling complex projects to mentoring team members, he embodies the values that Rearo stands for.

Please join Graham Mercer and all of us in congratulating Robert on this remarkable achievement! Here’s to celebrating the past 25 years and looking forward to many more to come. 🥂

Last Week, Our Operations Manager, Jamie Campbell and our CNC Operator, Rhys Todd, visited the HOMAG UK Open House Event.

They enjoyed learning about the latest woodworking machinery from HOMAG and seeing their new software in action.

We are always looking for ways to improve our production efficiency, so we will be looking at the new Beamsaw in the near future!

Statement about International Decorative Surfaces (IDS)

We are saddened by the recent news regarding International Decorative Surfaces (IDS) and their notice of intention to appoint administrators. IDS has been a cornerstone in the decorative surfaces industry for over two decades. Since their formation in 1999, following the merger of L Bloom and Meyer Laminates, they’ve become the UK’s largest distributor of decorative surfaces, employing over 500 people. This is an incredible achievement.

At Rearo, we’ve been fortunate to maintain a strong relationship with IDS over the years. While the company is technically a competitor, it’s also one of our valued supply partners, and our relationship goes back 30+ years. One of our current sales team members even started his career in the original L Bloom company. The legacy they’ve built is truly remarkable, and we want to take this moment to reflect on their impact on our industry and their contributions to innovation and growth.

We understand that the coming weeks will be filled with uncertainty for many, and our hearts go out to all of IDS’s employees, partners, and customers. The legacy of IDS will forever stand as a testament to the resilience and commitment of those who have been part of its journey.

This morning, Sam Mercer passed his driving test! 🚗

Sam has been working within our samples department for the past 6 months and opted into Rearo’s driving lesson scheme.

Rearo’s driving lesson scheme includes 15 x 90-minute lessons arranged and paid for by Rearo. Lessons are held within working hours to ensure apprentices can attend without sacrificing personal time. Rearo also funds the Theory Test and Driving Test.

Rearo firmly believes that learning to drive builds confidence and a sense of independence.

Well done Sam & Enjoy the roads!

Long Service Awards

On Tuesday, 10th September, Graham Mercer, Jamie Campbell and the team at REARO LAMINATES LIMITED, Glasgow, gathered to recognise five years of service from Travis Tennant and Lewis Hill. Plus, we celebrated an incredible 20 years from Daniel Danso!

Travis Tennant has been with Rearo for 5 years, working on the PUR line and recently having completed training in Solid Surfacing, Travis has become a key part in bringing new members of staff up to speed, Whilst he’s been through some health issues over the last few months it’s great to see him back at Rearo and in positive health!

Lewis Hill has been with Rearo for 5 years and has been a pivotal member of the team, Lewis has recently completed training within Solid Surfacing and has been working in the post-forming area now for the past 2 years under the watchful eye of Michael Kennedy.
Lewis has excelled in the postforming area while picking up new skills building the McDonald’s IPS pods and working his way up the skills matrix on our new Edgebander.

Daniel originally joined the company when the factory was based over in Woodville Street, and has taken on so many roles over the years. He is not only the Support Services Manager, but also our Engineer, Health and Safety Officer, ISO Officer, and Environmental Champion… Daniel wears so many hats at Rearo and has set the standards our team lives by every day. We have machines that are 30 years old, and Daniel has kept them going even on 24-hour use.

At the gathering, Graham and Jamie commended Daniel on the importance of his work within Rearo over the years. Daniel went on to say ‘Rearo is a good place to work and keeps getting better, let’s keep pushing to make Rearo the best it can be!”

Thank you, Lewis, Travis & Daniel for your hard work & dedication to Rearo!

New Manager of the Commercial Department

Good News! We are excited to announce that as of 28/08/2024, John Brine has been promoted to Commercial Manager! 🎉

Robert Bennett, Head of Sales & Marketing commented “John has proved that he has the drive and ambition to carry the Rearo Commercial department forward as it continues to grow”

We all wish John all the best in his new role!

Last Month in our Glasgow HQ, We kitted out the hallway to the downstairs meeting room with photos of Rearo staff past & present.

If you’re in the branch, take a minute to look and see some familiar faces from over the years!

Thank you to Tam for putting these up!

Two days before the Europa League Conference 3rd qualifying round with Norwegian opponents,

SK Brann, Sam Speirs and Lewis Hill carried out a day and a half’s work restoring the bar area in the hospitality suite and the main reception desk at the SMISA stadium, home of St Mirren FC

The areas were fitted several years ago and the bar top especially has seen some serious wear and tear due to the popularity of the suite with the Saints fans.

The boys used the skills they had honed in their solid surface training to bring the tops back up to look as good as new to complement both areas.

 A lot of sanding and polishing was required due to the tops being a darker colour but both the areas came up looking fantastic!