We need to make wallcoverings easier to use

Bob, 48, has just taken over as managing director at the 'spiritual home' of wallpaper, The Imperial Home Decor Group in Darwen after spending the past five years at ICI Paints where he was in charge of the Dulux, Cuprinol, Polycell and Hammerite brands.

So, will transforming a new home in Lancashire be a doddle? "Not exactly," said Bob. "I will have a go at DIY, but I may need professional help for larger projects."

Bob, however, has enough of a challenge in revitalising the wallcoverings business which has been in the doldrums over the past 10 years.

The popularity of TV makeover programmes such as "Changing Rooms" - which relied on the quick fix of a lick of paint - put a big dent in sales.

But Bob is convinced that wallpaper can reinvent itself and make a comeback in homes throughout the UK.

The Imperial Home Decor Group (IHDG) has recently added the Anaglypta and Lincrusta brands to its portfolio that also includes Crown Wallcoverings, Shand Kydd, Transform and Oakdene.

Anaglypta production has been transferred from Akzo Nobel to IHDG's European headquarters at Belgrave Mills and a new collection for the brands has been launched.

For the main brand, Crown Wallcovering, new paste-the-wall products have proved a success and four additional ranges will be introduced next year. The Linda Barker designer collection is also selling well in DIY superstores.

"Paint sales have tended to grow at the expense of wallcoverings," said Bob. "We intend to turn that around and get wallcoverings to grow at the expense of paint, as wallpaper can bring the added benefit of warmth and texture to a room.

"There is a recognition that we need to make wallcoverings easier to use. Today, wallpaper users are traditionally family households with children.

"With a growth in single-person households and a higher proportionate spend on leisure, wallpaper should not only focus on its core consumers. It needs to appeal to the changing lifestyles of younger households.

"Part of the attraction of coming into this business is that the industry understands the importance of innovation. Our paste-the-wall range, for example, allows wallpaper to be hung with no mess in half the time and is a great way of introducing the wallpaper product to younger householders."

Bob's extensive industrial background has prepared him for the challenge ahead. When he left boarding school at the age of 18 with two A-Levels, he decided against university and went straight into industry.

After working as a buyer and in production control, his first top role was with the Kiwi shoe care company in Yorkshire where he was factory manager.

His next move was to Nicholas Laboratories in Slough where he ran the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics factory. He stayed within the Sara Lee group, undertaking a number of senior roles, including logistics director, commercial director and then supply chain director.

He spent five years at ICI Paints, the past two as managing director of its UK Retail business in Slough where he was responsible for the Dulux, Cuprinol, Polycell and Hammerite brands.

With a staff of 33, Imperial Home Decor's design studio is the largest in the UK and is regarded as a key part of the future success of the business. The company sponsors young designers and recruits graduates into the industry.

Belgrave Mills is now part of American-owned The Imperial Home Decor Group, which is the world's largest manufacturer of wallcoverings.

With a turnover of £70 million, the Darwen-based operation is the market leader in the UK and exports 40 per cent of production to markets, principally in the US and Europe.

Around 460 people are employed in Darwen, with a further 380 at Morecambe and another 60 at the company's distribution hub at Middleton.

In addition to producing wallpaper of every conceivable type - 650,000 rolls a week ranging from lining paper to textured vinyls - the company also markets bed linens and self-adhesive decorative panels, borders and stickers that can transform rooms with little cost to the consumer.

Bob is well aware of the traditions surrounding the company - the world's first mechanically-printed wallpaper was manufactured on the Darwen site way back in 1839.

"This is a business with history," he added. "There is also a lot of skill and talent within the organisation. I think the opportunity is there, through innovation, to find ways to appeal to consumers to use more and more wallcoverings to decorate their homes."