Martin Pike joins Skillmatics as sales agent for the South West, where he’ll be working alongside the recently appointed Stu Nichollas, Ray Nedas, Steven Minford and Damien Leahy.
Martin Pike
Skillmatics is strengthening its sales team following what it calls an ‘amazing’ reaction from retailers at the London and Nuremberg toy fairs. The early sales boom has resulted in the company securing the services of renowned and respected sales agent Martin Pike, who will be managing the South West territory.
Martin said: “I originally started my selling career at 25, being blue-chipped trained and selling for Cadburys, then Tobler Suchard. I started in the toy industry in 1990 with Toy Options, part of the Character Group, which gave me the opportunity to become an agent for the company in 1996. I have not looked back as an agent since, working for various toy/gift companies over the years. My current portfolio includes Rainbow Designs, Inside Out Toys, Wow, Plus-Plus, PlayMonster, Funrise, Clementoni and, now, Skillmatics.”
Martin, who can be contacted on pikemartin56@gmail.com, joins the recently appointed Stu Nichollas (Midlands), Ray Nedas (South / London), Steven Minford (ROI and NI) and Damien Leahy (North & Scotland). Readers can find out more about these appointments here.
Dave Kelly, VP Sales & Marketing, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Martin to the team: his knowledge and experience are a perfect fit for our Skillmatics and Gouda games product portfolios and I am really excited to be working with him. We offer retailers of all sizes such a wonderful array of games, puzzles, arts & crafts and educational resources, but it’s just as important that we have a great team supporting both our brands and the retailers who will be working with us. Building really strong partnerships is so important, but we need that initial trust and the chance to prove how good our ranges are. I am delighted that Martin is joining Stu, Ray, Steven and Damien who will certainly play a vital role in expanding our business in the UK and Irish markets.”
“We offer great SSPs, great margins, great content and full diverse options in terms of marketing and promotions to help drive high level volume sales, so retailers should make a point of getting in touch with either myself or any of the team and speak to us about becoming an approved stockist,” Dave added.
Founded by lifelong family friends Dhvanil Sheth and Devanshi Kejriwal, Skillmatics is on a mission to change the way children learn through play. Gouda Games, meanwhile, is out to revolutionise family game nights by transforming them into memorable, fun filled experiences. All products are carbon neutral and made using sustainable and recyclable materials.
To find out more on the Skillmatics and Gouda Games ranges, contact Dave on david.kelly@skillmaticsworld.com or call 07764 369 245 / 01244 940 200.
