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Chris is our Senior Buyer and sits on our Senior Leadership team. Read on to find what has kept him at Fordingbridge for 41 years and what he’s looking forward to most in the years ahead…
How did you first get involved with Fordingbridge Chris?
When I started at Fordingbridge it was only meant to be a month’s temporary work, but here I am 41 years later! Things were very different when I started. We operated from a hut with a mud floor and a leaking roof and specialised exclusively in agricultural solutions. Agriculture is still a significant market for us today, but we also provide canopies, shelters, and buildings for schools, hospitals, garden centres, zoos, retail parks and leisure centres across the UK.
How did you progress into the role you have today?
One of the great things about Fordingbridge is that the company invests in your development and I soon progressed through the business until I was running the factory floor and from there I moved into a buying role.
To gain the additional skills I needed for this role, the company supported me to complete a foundation degree one afternoon and evening a week. It was a big commitment as a young dad, but I believed in the company and knowing that I had the full support of the team made all the difference. I’ll always be grateful to the company for the faith they showed in me.
Has being at the company for so long given you any advantages?
In the early days there was a real ‘everyone in’ ethos and I used to help construct canopies at the weekends. That experience gave me a deep understanding of onsite challenges and of what customers are looking for and those insights have helped me significantly in my role as a buyer.
I’ve also been lucky enough to develop close working relationships with a loyal group of suppliers over the years and these close relationships have paid dividends on many occasions.
During covid for instance, when securing supplies became challenging and prices started to skyrocket, we were still able to deliver projects to tight deadlines and budgets thanks to our unique supplier and customer relationships. I’m proud of that as it says everything about how we operate as a team at Fordingbridge.
What do you see will be the biggest new trends in the sector?
Scale is a big one. We’re seeing clients wanting bigger and bigger canopies and of course that has an impact on design and materials.
Sustainability is another huge focus for customers and one that we’re well placed to support with as it’s always been a priority for us. We only ever use sustainably sourced timber in our structures and rigorously check our supply chains to ensure their values align with ours both ethically and sustainably.
What are you most looking forward to over the coming years?
I can honestly say that there isn’t a day that I don’t look forward to coming into the office. I know that’s not often the case, so I’m looking forward to enjoying more years of having that feeling.
I’m also looking forward to seeing the company continue to go from strength to strength. 41 years ago, I’d never have thought that we’d be working with names like the English Cricket Board, Hilliers, B&Q, and Costa, so it’s going to be exciting to see where the future takes us!
