Marshalls and Interlay Registers, are they worth it, i have been landscaping 18 years and have got all my work from word of mouth.
And do they charge
Marshalls and interlay registers
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Dave_L
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- Location: Somerset
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No
and
Yes
If you have worked for 18 years like you have, then carry on as you are - you're obviously doing something right.
and
Yes
If you have worked for 18 years like you have, then carry on as you are - you're obviously doing something right.
RW Gale Ltd - Civils & Surfacing Contractors based in Somerset
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Tony McC
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- Location: Warrington, People's Republic of South Lancashire
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It depends on what you want from a trade organisation. For some, the kudos that (allegedly) comes from belonging to such an organisation is what entices them to sign up and hand over all that money each year, but more and more contractors want to see some tangible benefit for their business, which is why the Marshalls' Register offers training days to its members and Interlay provides automatic membership of the Hard Landscape Training Group to its roster.
Interlay is not manufacturer specific, so you can vaunt your membership regardless of whose concrete modular paving you happen to be laying, whereas the MR offers benefits that apply only when you're using their product. I'm not up-to-speed with just what is happening with the Top Paver scheme Brett inherited from Toppave when they bought the business, but it does seem to be highly regarded particularly in Brett's natural territory of SE England.
Manufacturer schemes worry me because, if you want to offer your customers a wide range of products, you'd need to be a member of god-knows-how-many schemes at 400 quid a time. I suppose it comes down to whether you want to be a brand-specific installer or the sort of contractor that will use whatever the client wants, much like some garages will only sell and service Fords while others will turn their hand to any make.
It is noticeable that, although we do have several MR and Top Paver members frequenting the Brew Cabin, none have jumped up to laud their particular scheme. Interlay members are much scarcer: just 70 or so of them in total, so they may have some excuse for not speaking up.
However, after all is said and done, I think Dave summed it up perfectly: if you've been trading successfully for 18 years, you must be doing summat right, and if it's not broke, don't fix it!
Interlay is not manufacturer specific, so you can vaunt your membership regardless of whose concrete modular paving you happen to be laying, whereas the MR offers benefits that apply only when you're using their product. I'm not up-to-speed with just what is happening with the Top Paver scheme Brett inherited from Toppave when they bought the business, but it does seem to be highly regarded particularly in Brett's natural territory of SE England.
Manufacturer schemes worry me because, if you want to offer your customers a wide range of products, you'd need to be a member of god-knows-how-many schemes at 400 quid a time. I suppose it comes down to whether you want to be a brand-specific installer or the sort of contractor that will use whatever the client wants, much like some garages will only sell and service Fords while others will turn their hand to any make.
It is noticeable that, although we do have several MR and Top Paver members frequenting the Brew Cabin, none have jumped up to laud their particular scheme. Interlay members are much scarcer: just 70 or so of them in total, so they may have some excuse for not speaking up.
However, after all is said and done, I think Dave summed it up perfectly: if you've been trading successfully for 18 years, you must be doing summat right, and if it's not broke, don't fix it!
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