Month: June 2021

From Driver to Director, Mark Nottingham at Travis Perkins shares insight from his 40+ years in the Builders Merchant industry – discussing the positive changes in the areas of Diversity and Digitalisation, and why customers should always come first.

Where did you start your career?

Where did you start your career?

I have worked in the industry for forty years – joining Travis Perkins when they acquired the Independent Merchant I was working for in the late 80s. I started out in the yard, but my first week was spent working with a sales representative – ringing customers & trying to sell products. Then in my second week, the Yard Foreman drilled into me that if a customer got out of his van and I wasn’t standing next to him ready to sell then I’d failed!

I hated my first two weeks at work. But it taught me customers were the reason I was there, and my job was the same as every other colleague – we were all there to sell stuff. That lesson has stayed with me all this time.

What has changed most in the industry over your career?

What has changed most in the industry over your career?

So much has changed over the years. When I was a Driver, we would unload products by hand due to access or quality of the crane. Now we have so many types of vehicles to meet customer requirements such as moffats and rear mounted cranes. Technology has moved on significantly and we’re keeping up with the demand from customers wanting to order online. This demand is only set to increase.

We are now an industry attracting so many great people from a far more diverse workforce which is such a rewarding step forward. With all genders in almost every job role from Drivers to Managing Directors, and we have colleagues from such a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. Everyone is made to feel welcome and part of the team. This was not the case in my early years and is such a welcome transformation.

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

The highlight of my career was becoming Regional Managing Director in 2001 and being responsible for about 180 Branches working with a team of about 7000 colleagues. I think I have always remained humble and treated all with respect and dignity, we are all one team, and we win together.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
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My advice to any new starters in the industry would is

“Come to work each day with a great attitude, make a difference and remember that customers are our day job – they are the reason we are here. Customers and suppliers will become your friends which will make your job rewarding. Aim as high as possible – you are in control of your journey so it’s up to you to realise your potential”.

What advice can you give leaders when managing businesses and teams through times of uncertainty?

“Come to work each day with a great attitude, make a difference and remember that customers are our day job – they are the reason we are here. Customers and suppliers will become your friends which will make your job rewarding. Aim as high as possible – you are in control of your journey so it’s up to you to realise your potential”.
What advice can you give leaders when managing businesses and teams through times of uncertainty?

The pandemic has hurt so many businesses, but the vast majority of Builders Merchants have come out of the other side even stronger. We are a very fortunate industry; our lockdown was short, and many builders carried on. During the pandemic it was critical that we gave strong and clear leadership, many colleagues were uncertain and were looking for help and direction.

We tried very hard to communicate on a regular basis on what’s being done, what needs to be done and what help was needed. It was a time for some bold decisions and using lockdown time to fix some of the things that you would never normally get around to.

What’s next for you?

What’s next for you?

I am now enjoying semi-retirement and working two days a week supporting Travis Perkins on some new initiatives which is very exciting. I have also taken up playing golf, so I hope I can use this to keep in close contact with many of my work friends.