Our team

Talented leaders

We are managed by some of the top talent in our industry, both in the United Kingdom and North America. Our strong leadership has led the company through consistent growth and solid earnings for over a decade.

The team share a dedication to finding the right IT solutions for real-world business problems and a commitment to excellence.

Arthur Duffy joined Progressive Solutions in 2006 and is our Managing Director in the UK. He has overall responsibility for business direction in Europe and also controls sales within our key vertical markets in the construction supplies and other industries. Prior to joining Progressive Solutions, Arthur gained 18 years’ experience in the industry, first as Sales & Marketing Director of BCT Business Systems and then as Managing Director of his own software company, TouchPoint Consulting.
Gary Brookshaw (Product Director) brought his talents to Progressive Solutions in 2002. He is responsible for managing research and development for Progressive Solutions' global operations. Gary has been developing large, enterprise-level solutions using Microsoft technologies for well over a decade. Prior to joining Progressive Solutions, Gary Brookshaw was the Technical Director and co-founder of Software Aspects and was the Windows Development Manager for BCT Business Systems, another company with strong experience in the merchant marketplace.
Paul Jones is Services Director for the UK and joined us in 2004. Paul has over 20 years in IT, specialising for all that time in software development and services for the construction supplies industry. During his career he has seen life from both sides of the supply chain, spending several years as an IT consultant to a 130-branch chain of merchants. He has an MSc in Information Technology from Liverpool University, earned whilst working full time.
Len Williams is President and CEO of Progressive Solutions Inc, overseeing North American operations and CEO of UK operations. Since founding the company in 1989, his vision and leadership have helped lead it through unparalleled growth, from start-up to a recognised leader in the building materials and wood products industry. Today the company has a global presence operating across 3 continents in 7 countries. His commitment to customer-focused management practices and employee development has earned the company an outstanding reputation for excellence in product innovation, customer service and employee satisfaction.
Iain Ball is Financial Director in the UK and VP Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer for the North American operations, which he joined in 1996. He is responsible for planning, directing and controlling the overall group financial plans & practices. He has over 25 years of international financial experience with private, publicly-listed and Big 4 accounting firms. He has an MBA and is a Chartered Accountant.

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Testimonials

"The reporting capabilities of bisTrack really help the sales department answer day to day enquiries. It gives them instant access to information about purchasing volumes and when timber is due to come in."

Wayne Abrams, Project Leader, Arbor Forest Products
“There are other systems of course, but none have had the development time that’s behind bisTrack. I can’t believe there’s a better system out there. I’m convinced there’s nothing that can deliver better what we need.”

Peter Buttle, md, Buttle plc
“There are other systems of course, but none have had the development time that’s behind bisTrack. I can’t believe there’s a better system out there. I’m convinced there’s nothing that can deliver better what we need.”

Peter Buttle, md, Buttle plc
"Our computer system impacts on every aspect of the business. Buying, selling, importing, transport planning, as well as accounts. If you install the wrong software, without the right level of performance or functionality, it will cause significant problems throughout your business."
"bisTrack was a big investment for us but it's the best change we've ever made. We've grown so much over the last four or five years, we simply couldn't have carried on using a manual system."

Gerwyn Thomas, partner, TL Thomas (builders' merchant)
"The decision to go with bisTrack was based on the relationship we were developing with the Progressive team, a confidence in deliverability and their aggressive approach to overall cost."

Stephen Mulhall, FD, McMahon
"Good customer service is easier to achieve with good IT to back up our staff. bisTrack gives provides an efficient system for dealing with customers. Good management tools enable us to concentrate our efforts in the right direction."

David Dunmow, Group FD, James Latham plc
"We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."

Payne Timber
What will YOU do with your week off?

"With the time saved we've carried out branch refurbishments and I've taken my first holiday!"

John Cavanagh, MD, Cavanagh Timber
"bisTrack is an excellent piece of software and getting better. Their approach to meeting our needs is excellent. eBusiness is not going to be big for another 12 months but PSI are there already, which means we’re ahead. They're very open to ideas and keep getting better at turnaround."

Adam Myers, Beesley & Fildes
"We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."

Payne Timber
"We have a responsibility to the environment. That’s why we’re trying to lower our carbon footprint. We introduced e-commerce, cut down on paper receipts & are introducing electronic billing for customers."

Director, building materials supplier
"The reporting capabilities of bisTrack really help the sales department answer day to day enquiries. It gives them instant access to information about purchasing volumes and when timber is due to come in."

Wayne Abrams, Project Leader, Arbor Forest Products
"I'm happy bisTrack will grow with us. If we find we need something which isn't already incorporated, I'm confident Progressive will work with us to fill the gap."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."

Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber
"I'm happy bisTrack will grow with us. If we find we need something which isn't already incorporated, I'm confident Progressive will work with us to fill the gap."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"There’s no doubt that bisTrack is a good tool. We’ve a fantastic record for growth and we’re getting a lot out of bisTrack now, particularly over the control of our business."

Mike MacLellan, MD, GPH Builders Merchant
"It's a very nicely laid out system with easy to follow structural menus and taskpads which, even if I haven't used a particular function before, I find relatively simple to complete."

Chris Pratt, Pratts Timber and Builders Merchants Ltd
"I'm happy bisTrack will grow with us. If we find we need something which isn't already incorporated, I'm confident Progressive will work with us to fill the gap."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"The people at Progressive Solutions are likeable, straight-talking individuals who have a commitment to continuously develop and push the software forward."

Joe Tipper, Walter Tippers Ltd
"Performance across the system is continuously enhanced too. Since our last release, finding products is now significantly faster ...by up to 30%."

Gary Brookshaw, Product Director, Progressive Solutions
"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"We saw benefits straight away, particularly with the time we saved on monthly stock takes and sourcing information for management reports."

Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products
"I'm happy bisTrack will grow with us. If we find we need something which isn't already incorporated, I'm confident Progressive will work with us to fill the gap."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"The great thing is we can always export information to Excel and produce any report we need — such as aged debt by sales rep, or a bespoke exposure report, which assesses potential credit risk & protects us."

Damien Cosgrove, Credit Control Mgr, Noyeks Newmans
"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."

David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons
"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
“There are other systems of course, but none have had the development time that’s behind bisTrack. I can’t believe there’s a better system out there. I’m convinced there’s nothing that can deliver better what we need.”

Peter Buttle, md, Buttle plc
"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."

David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons
"Our computer system impacts on every aspect of the business. Buying, selling, importing, transport planning, as well as accounts. If you install the wrong software, without the right level of performance or functionality, it will cause significant problems throughout your business."
"We spent a long time evaluating several systems and I'm confident that bisTrack is the best available."

Andrew Laver, Arnold Laver Timberworld
"Stock counting is one of the best facilities in bisTrack ever. Stock counting across multiple locations is effortless with multiple entries of the same product. Entering a count is even easier. Counting 10,000 lines used to take two of us 4 days. This time it was 8 hours."
"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."

Payne Timber
“Hargeaves are ideally placed to take advantage of the offer – whilst we plan to continue using e-Xact to update our product file we also want much better control over special product sales and purchases."

Gordon Rothwell, James Hargreaves MD
"One reason we chose Progressive was because their team was so approachable. It wasn’t just because the software was better. We really felt we could work with them.”

Director, Ridgeons
"bisTrack is an excellent piece of software and getting better. Their approach to meeting our needs is excellent. eBusiness is not going to be big for another 12 months but PSI are there already, which means we’re ahead. They're very open to ideas and keep getting better at turnaround."

Adam Myers, Beesley & Fildes
"I can export information into Excel by right-clicking and manipulate it to my heart's content."
"Inventory accuracy is higher because everyone is more focused and our staff can see the benefit of getting it right."

Ian Murchie, Operations Director, Howie Forest Products
"The time was right for a change of software at Alsford's and we selected bisTrack from a shortlist of three. The key criteria was 'business fit'. We wanted a Microsoft Windows, intuitive solution which would best serve our claim to be 'The Timber Experts' in all our 20 branches."

Neil Fuller, MD, Alsford Timber
"I'm convinced there's no other system that can deliver better what we need. Apart from its Windows architecture and its powerful functionality, it now has ten years of development behind it."

Peter Buttle, Buttle plc