The plumber's role in the plastics industry

The plumbers role in the plastics industy G. Bambrough, MIP Senior Partner, George Bambrough & Associates No one will argue that plumbers have played an important role in the development of plastics for rainwater, soil waste and drainage systems in the UK.

Almost without exception, the manufacturers of these systems had someone with a practical plumbing background in a key position -with their development team and with the combination of the toolmaker, plastics technologist and the practical . plumber, produced plastics plumbing systems that were accepted as more effective than similar systems produced anywhere else in the world,

The tooling costs for a plastics component was considerably higher than pattern or mould costs for the equivalent cost of iron or asbestos products. It was initially very essential therefore to design a minimum range of components to meet a maximum range of applications and. this could only be achieved by using people with knowledge and practical experience in the plumbing field.

Having designed a practical range of products, it was then necessary to convince the plumbing user. Who better to convince them than the practical plumber. Many plumbers made the transition from the site to the. technical sales field, and : many now have important positions in the plastics industry.

The successful marketing team is now a blend of person with pure sales experience, and technical knowledge is supplied by the anchor man who started life in basic plumbing.