Covered
Covered
James is our new Factory Manager, but although he’s new in role he’s one of our true stalwarts – in fact, Fordingbridge was his first role out of college! Here we find out more about what keeps bringing him back…
How did you get started at Fordingbridge?
I first joined Fordingbridge over 20 years ago, back in 2003. It was my first job out of college. I started in the drawing office before progressing into surveying, estimating and project management.
You’ve covered so many roles in your time! What do you value about that experience?
Fordingbridge has a great working culture. The company really nurtures, values and invests in their staff and I’m grateful to have had lots of training and progression opportunities while I’ve been here. It’s paid dividends because I’m coming into the role of Factory Manager with a broad understanding of the business, of what clients are looking for, and what different teams in Fordingbridge need to do their job well. It means that we can be so much more efficient and effective in the way we operate.
You left Fordingbridge after 14 years. Why was that?
I’d always wondered what life outside the UK would be like and eventually decided I had to give it a go so my wife and I packed up our lives and set off for Australia.
That’s a brave move – what did you do over there?
I was a construction surveyor for four years in Melbourne, mainly involving set-outs for new high rises and large industrial buildings. From there we moved to Brisbane where I became Operations Manager for a steel framing company. That role involved co-ordinating the design team and looking after the workflow in the factory – essential skills that I have taken forward into my new role at Fordingbridge.
What did you most enjoy about Australian life and what brought you back?
We loved the feeling of space you get over there and there’s a more relaxed pace of life. But ultimately, we missed family and friends too much. We moved back last summer, and it was very special to see my daughter who is five, enjoy her first Christmas surrounded by family and cousins. It made the move back 100% worthwhile.
Why did you decide to return to Fordingbridge and why did you decide to move into the factory side of things?
As soon as we decided to return, I knew I wanted to work at Fordingbridge again and was lucky that they took me straight back. When the role of Factory Manager came up, I knew instantly that I wanted to do it. I’ve got so much respect for the job the team in our factory does. They’re totally dedicated to producing a quality result.
I also knew that my experiences in surveying, project managing, drawing and liaising with clients would help us raise standards still further and make processes even more streamlined and efficient.
What three things do you most enjoy about working at Fordingbridge?
I love the three Ps! The people, the product and the opportunities for progression. The people are all great – I genuinely look forward to coming into work. I love being able to work with a product that I can talk about with confidence and pride. And there’s a culture of constant learning that I find inspiring.
You’ll have seen a lot of change over the years. What changes do you see on the horizon?
I think with sustainability being such a big consideration these days, we’ll see more and more emphasis on the quality of materials. Although price is obviously a key consideration, people are also more mindful now than ever about the potential lifetime of any projects they invest in. Our clients are always reassured by the fact that we offer 25-year guarantees on all our structures and only use materials that are 100% recyclable at the end of their lifetime.
In the last few years, we’ve seen a huge amount of investment in sport too – in schools, holiday parks, universities, at standalone sports centres, and of course with the whole padel boom and I think that’s only going to grow as the benefits everyone reaps are significant.
