Congratulations to Alan Bridge for his long-term commitment to the company. To mark this impressive milestone, we caught up with Alan to find out more about his time with us…
If you could give young Alan one piece of advice when he joined 25 years ago, what would it be?
The best way of communicating with someone is to pick up the phone and talk.
How has your role changed over the years and what have you had to do to adapt?
From starting as a sub-contractor with Pexhurst originally in 1996, and then becoming a full-time team member in 1997, I have had to adapt quite quickly as I have had a variety of job roles from a site manager to joining the office and becoming a contracts manager. So instead of building the project, I was suddenly working with the clients and sub-contractors directly to ensure I delivered the project. Then finally my current role as an Associate Director, and with that becoming one of Pexhurst’s mental health champions.
Since joining 25 years ago, what do you think has had the biggest influence on improving the sector?
For me there have been several factors, including the improvements in health and safety with the changes in Construction Design and Management (CDM). In addition, being able to talk about mental health has really come a long way since I started and was definitely well overdue. The investment in training operatives has also advanced the industry and will hopefully encourage more young people to be interested in starting careers in construction.
What have your favourite projects been from over the years?
It’s hard to choose just one as I’ve been involved in so many different and interesting projects over the years. However, one of my favourites would have to be when I worked on a Workspace project called the Chocolate Factory – the project looked great when it was completed, and I loved the different design elements involved.
Read the case study here: https://www.pexhurst.co.uk/case-studies/chocolate-factory-workspace-group-plc/
What improvements have you made to the quality control process at Pexhurst?
Part of my role is to conduct quality check across all our projects. Receiving snags on a project is inevitable, however I ensure that we continue to deliver to the highest possible standards, and continue to exceed our clients’ expectations.
How has Pexhurst changed over the years? What has stayed the same?
The size of the company! The company has grown a lot in my 25 years at Pexhurst, but the ethos remains the same. Pexhurst continues to be a market leader in what we do, whilst still maintaining that family-run business ethos.
What has kept you at Pexhurst for such a long time?
The open-door policy and being able to talk comfortably with the Directors has been a major part, along with various training opportunities and the variety of projects in all the different locations.
Follow us on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/pexhurst-services-limited/
