Meet The Team: Optima

Now in their second year as our partners on LTD, Optima is a brand to reckon with in the partitioning industry. The company is always innovating, with some of the most high-performing partitions, giving great externally validated acoustic ratings. It’s the confidence they instill in their clients of understanding their needs and anticipating change, that make them a success.

We spoke to some of the brains behind the brand’s Middle East branch, Lee Bazzoni, Construction Director, Middle East and Sales Managers Patrick Murray and Emily Perkins, UAE, to learn about their strategy and future in the region.

About the brand’s ‘Secret Sauce’…

Emily: The great thing with Optima is they tend to be the market leaders, especially within the UK. We know if we get a system over here, we have 100 per cent confidence behind it. We have a technical team in the UK that looks into everything for us and they’ve tried it, they’ve tested it and they have certified it. 

Lee: We are a manufacturer as well as an installer, so this allows us to keep an eye on every aspect of production. After installation we also like to continue relationships, offering after-sales care. 

Patrick: We have a facility in the UK where all of our products come from, so we have full control of the quality of the product. For me as a sales guy, that gives me full confidence. 

“One of the main successes was the introduction of Optima 36, which is a cost-effective solution.“.

– Lee Bazzoni, Construction Director at Optima, Middle East

What were your top successes in the previous year?

Lee: Last year posed many challenges for us. One of the main successes was the introduction of Optima 36, which is a cost-effective solution. This was received very well in the market as there was a demand for a cost-effective option from Optima. It’s very sleek, performs well acoustically, and it is able to service the Design and Build industry too. 

Emily: We have a fantastic name behind us, and we have the product behind us. We have achieved and delivered products to date, on time, that really have pushed the boundaries on the design concept. 

Above from Left: Emily Perkins, Sales Manager at Optima ME, Lee Bazzoni, Construction Director at Optima ME and Patrick Murray, Sales Manager at Optima ME

Emily: When we first started, we were receiving comments that we couldn’t make time frames, we weren’t cost-effective. We have taken all this feedback on board. We now stock more materials locally in our warehouse in the UAE, to address any concerns on lead time. We have worked on delivering to the desired timeframes, introduced a budget-friendly option, which has proved very popular, and we have been delivering that this year. (in addition to our premium range of award winning products).

Designers ask us to research the market to check we can 100 per cent do what they require. We carefully put together our proposals to ensure they meet the specifications, are cost-effective and timely. 

What lies for Optima in the future?

Lee: We are currently going through a four-million-pound extension, which is going to allow us to streamline and best serve all parts of the world. We are upgrading our powder coating plant, which allows us to supply better finishes to the market. It’s exciting times ahead, and we’re looking forward to rolling all of these out in 2020!

Patrick: It was a big year for us and, hopefully, we have an even better one coming up!