Pomdoo – Business Profile

Martin Pomeroy, proprietor of Pomdoo- has over 14 years experience as a wood floor specialist, and his passion is clearly what drives the success of his business forward. Now entering its 5th year, Pomdoo’s ethos is simple: Do what you said you were going to do, when you said you would do it and for the price you said you would do it for!

Pomdoo are specialists in wood flooring. Currently consisting of Martin Pomeroy and Alan Pollard, the pair have a combined experience of over 27 years. Offering professional services in sanding, sealing, installation and repair- Pomdoo have particular interest and expertise in the fitting and maintenance of parquet flooring and period properties.

Martin tells us he has always been handy, having previous experience in metal plating for Aerospace in Uxbridge near where he was raised. Martin made the move to Plymouth in 2003; after meeting his wife Alison who is originally from Plymouth and deciding it is in fact better down south!

Fast forward 10 years of working in the wooden flooring industry in the South West, Martin made the bold move to leave and start up his own company in March 2014.“I was essentially leaving a stable job for the unknown; of course it was a risk- especially having a young family at the time”.

I didn’t have any doubts because when you break it down it’s simple. If you turn up and do what you said you were going to do, for a price you’ve already quoted- you will always get work. It’s just down to the basics, do as you say!

In a short amount of time, Martin acquired his first large job under the Pomdoo name. Through recommendation, Martin was appointed to fit over 12,500 blocks of reclaimed Parquet flooring at Glazebrook House in South Brent. “I was there for 9 weeks. I finished my previous job on a Friday- the following Friday I was on my hands and Knees at Glazebrook fitting over 220 sq meters of parquet!”

The Glazebrook House job kick-started Martin’s business- and he soon found himself booked up four weeks in advance. “My wife was nervous of course, because I’d taken this risk. I was confident that once I’d built my reputation work would come and it did”.

“I’ve got a passion for turning up to these old rubbish floors, working our magic and turning them into something brand new. It’s a fantastic feeling making that change. My wife complains whenever we go anywhere- I am always looking at the floor.”

Alan Pollard: who joined Martin in April 2016, has over 13 years experience when it comes to wooden floors. “I didn’t really want to take anyone on to be honest! It hadn’t crossed my mind, but when Alan left his previous role, he had all those years experience and I just had to utilise that”. Not only did Martin gain a new team member, he also made the decision to purchase another Pomdoo van.

“You lose a lot of work when you say you can’t get to people for 2 months. With the second van we were shortening our waiting times and gaining more jobs as a result”. Now Martin has seen how well it is going, he tells us he would ideally like to expand the team even further in the future.

Moving on to some of the jobs Pomdoo have undertaken, Martin tells us that he has an extensive portfolio of both commercial and residential properties.

With the main focus being on residential as this is where Pomdoo’s preference lies- Martin also tells us that they recently completed the fitment of the Trevilder Restaurant floor located in Thurlestone Hotel. “Commercial jobs are usually a little more complex as you have to communicate with a number of other tradesman on the same job”.

Perhaps you have a hidden gem that needs restoring underneath your carpets, or need a brand new wooden floor fitted by professionals- Pomdoo can do it all. “We don’t do cheap. We offer a quality service as we take pride in what we do. People are always going to be happy because that’s what we strive for”.

If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Everything I do is with an immense amount of pride and attention to detail.

Talking through the typical process, Martin explains that even the worst floors can be restored. The room must be clear of all furniture and carpets prior to arrival so the job can be completed as swiftly as possible. Pomdoo then move in with their top of the range sanding machines- which are 98% dust free.

“I’ve had numerous people say to me over the years, they’ve sanded their floors and the entire house is covered in dust. That’s because they were more than likely using rental machines which are not top of the range or virtually dust free”.

The floor is sanded back down to bare wood, with special attention on all the corners and crevices to ensure a professional job is done.

Once the floor has been sanded- it is then ready for whatever finish the client would like. Martin explains that usually a Matt varnish is the most popular choice- however; past clients have chosen to go as dark or as light as they wish!

A major concern that people have when it comes to work being undertaken in their house, is potential for mess and distraction. Our sanding machines are purpose built for the trade so are 98% dust free.

Pomdoo are specialists when it comes to Parquet flooring. Parquet, which originated in France-, is the application of small hardwood or softwood pieces in various geometric shapes.

The popularity of Parquet dwindled when carpets were introduced, but resurfaced again in the 1990’s and is now an artistic addition to many modern homes. Martin explains that there is practically no room for error with this type of application- and any minor flaws will be noticeable.

Pomdoo pride themselves in being Parquet specialists and will take on any fitting, repair or restoration no matter how big or small.

When it comes to aftercare, Pomdoo link every happy customer to their website or explain how to look after their new floors. “The aftercare is extremely important. The floor has to be left alone for the varnish to dry for at least 48 hours. Only after this period of time can the furniture be put back and even then- we stress the importance of felt pads underneath so not to scratch the surface”.

Pomdoo pride themselves on their work, so want to ensure that every customer knows exactly how to maintain their beautiful new floor so they can enjoy it for years to come.

As a modern business, Pomdoo understand the importance of social media to gain maximum exposure. Martin regularly updates the Pomdoo Facebook page to showcase the duo’s hard work.

“I try to paint a broader picture of what we do. Facebook is great for visuals.It’s so easy to snap a few pictures on a job and upload them straight away for our followers to see.

“I try and get a good mixture and tick all of the boxes. I upload a good range of floors so if someone stumbles across us, they know exactly what we can do”.

Pomdoo have just entered their fifth year as a business, and Martin has given himself plenty of scope to expand. “In the near future I would definitely like to have a larger team, another van- so we can take on more jobs with shorter waiting times.

Pomdoo currently service areas within a 35 mile radius of Plymouth, travelling as far as Tavistock, Dartmouth, Looe and Totnes. Martin explains that he doesn’t currently have any plans to reach even further; as he likes being a local, reliable business.

Martin would also like to expand the products on offer at Pomdoo, and possibly look into supplying and fitting luxury vinyl tiling. “Vinyl tiles would be a great addition to the services as they reinforce the quality aspect of what Pomdoo offer”.

“Perhaps as a natural progression to the business, we could offer a painting and decorating service to go hand in hand with the floor finishing- we could offer the complete Pomdoo package!”

My main focus when I first started was to build the brand first. Pomdoo stands for quality and that’s it first and foremost. When we turn up, you know the job is going to be done right.

Martin concludes by telling us “I would hope that we have accomplished that so now I can think about expanding, because our name will stand for something”.

Pomdoo offer free no obligation quotations, see their website below for more details.

Call: 07712119536 or 01752 344200 (answerphone)
Email: martin@pomdoo.com
Visit: www.pomdoo.com