If you ever wanted to see a perfect example of a career path, look no further than Glen Soper, who has recently joined the Purdy team. Starting as an apprentice in his family business, which specialised in thermal insulation and asbestos, Glen is now in pole position to help direct the strategic, organic growth of Purdy in the East of England.
Based at our new Retrofit Hub and offices in Dereham, Glen comments: “I’m delighted to join the Purdy team at this exciting time for the business. Coming from being ‘on the tools’ I am more than aware of the challenges associated with the delivery of services and products into people’s homes. Having served my time for three years as an apprentice, I then got involved in project management and supervised some high-risk projects in
the hazardous waste management sector, including time at Tata steel where we were often involved with working around pipework which could reach up to 300 degrees.
“2018 saw me move into the social housing sector where I’ve remained since as I love it. Initially I was again involved in high risks environments on projects including fire protection and asbestos. I then moved into the delivery of kitchens, bathrooms and voids, which although lower risk, still require the highest level of health and safety. After all, we were working people’s homes so the safety and wellbeing of both the delivery teams and the residents was paramount. When I say RAMS are second nature to me now, I mean it, and this skillset alongside experience of frameworks, SORs and procurement, has brought me to the position I’m delighted to be in now at Purdy.
“My initial plan is all about streamlining our processes to give clients and residents the best service we possibly can. Responsive repairs is a demanding and challenging arena and we’re only as good as our last job. I’m delighted to say my team of 18 which is growing, are more than meeting this challenge and we’re already securing new contracts on the back of it. I’m also a keen proponent of direct delivery to enable us to remain competitive and in control of our own destiny. Of course, it’s hard to do this when you consider the challenges of the supply chain and labour market at the moment, but that’s where bringing in apprentices and offering work experience to young people really starts to pay dividends. I’m delighted to already have two trainees on work experience with two apprentices starting in Autumn. I look forward to watching them flourish like I did.
“Throughout my career, two words have always been at the heart of what I aim to deliver: quality and professionalism, and both dovetail perfectly with Purdy’s and the wider Kinovo Group’s values. It’s an exciting time to be coming on board, helping to drive the Purdy brand to be even more recognised, trusted and selected. This combined with the fantastic support offered by our parent company Kinovo, means that we’re well placed to achieve our vision for a sustainable business that is embedded in the communities in which we work.”
