Kelmore has appointed two area sales managers to its national team, including its first dedicated area sales manager for Ireland, a move that gives a growing UK manufacturer of flooring and tiling preparation products dedicated commercial coverage in a market where domestic manufacturing capacity has historically lagged import-dependent demand.

Alysse Campany will support flooring customers across the south east of England, bringing more than 16 years' experience in the flooring industry. Cian O'Leary becomes Kelmore's first dedicated area sales manager for Ireland, supporting tiling and flooring customers, and brings 20 years' sales experience spanning manufacturing, ceramics and flooring.

The appointments bring Kelmore's sales team to eight across the UK and Ireland; the company, launched in February 2024, has grown to a team of 75 and has previously won industry awards.

Kelmore, based in Chorley, is a UK manufacturer of flooring and tiling preparation products, and O'Leary's appointment reflects continued investment in the Irish market specifically.

Steve Kean, head of sales at Kelmore, said the appointments bring strong industry knowledge, customer relationships and a genuine passion for supporting customers, and that as the company continues to grow, investing in the right people with the experience and technical support customers expect remains vital, strengthening Kelmore's presence in key regions.

The appointments reflect a wider pattern among smaller UK manufacturers of building dedicated regional and cross-border sales infrastructure as they scale, rather than relying on generalist national coverage or third-party distributors to reach export markets.

The Ireland-specific hire is notable because Ireland's vinyl flooring sector remains a largely import-dependent model, with domestic manufacturing capacity limited relative to consumption, while the wider UK flooring market is forecast to grow from $4.78bn in 2026 to $6.41bn by 2034.

For the sector, a dedicated Ireland sales role signals that UK manufacturers see the Irish flooring and tiling market, still reliant on imports for the bulk of supply, as underserved by direct manufacturer coverage rather than adequately reached through existing distributor relationships.

The wider signal for the sector is that scale-up UK manufacturers are increasingly investing in cross-border commercial teams ahead of further production capacity expansion, treating market access and customer relationships as the first growth investment rather than factory capacity alone.

Source: Lancashire Business View / Market Data Forecast / IndexBox