FMB Cymru Hub Director Ifan Glyn sits down with the new FMB Cymru President to get to know him and his thoughts on the Welsh construction industry.
Q: Tell us a bit about your career to date
I left Tonyrefail Comprehensive School in 1987 and went straight into a carpentry apprenticeship. It was a four-year apprenticeship that saw me based on a housing development site in Caerphilly. After completing my training, I became a labour-only self-employed carpenter working as a sub-contractor for a company that worked on private dwellings. After four years or so, I moved to a company that was predominantly involved in commercial fitouts, again as a self-employed sub-contractor. I remained with them for five years.
In the year 2000, I took the plunge of setting up my own company and called it Excel Carpentry Services. I employed an additional carpenter and took on an apprentice. Most of our work was on large commercial projects as part of a large supply chain.
In the year 2006, I took the company to limited status and by that point had four other carpenters on the books and around 10 sub-contractors working with me. Three years later, I was unfortunately involved in a serious car accident which kept me away from work for a year or so. I was forced to lay off all employees and subbies and spent the year pondering my future business aspirations. I came to the decision that I wanted to move away from commercial projects, and instead wanted to focus on private domestic homes. I re-established the business, took on two tradesmen, and renamed the company Excel Home Design, which is what the company is known as today.
The business has gone from strength to strength and today we employ 12 and have a stable 20 or so subbies working with us. Our Unique Selling Point is that we only carry out projects from conception to completion; we design, supply, and install. We have a sharp focus on quality, and I feel that having control from start to finish enables us to achieve consistently high standards.
Q: What are the key challenges facing the industry today in your view? How can we overcome these challenges?
The shortage of skilled labour is without doubt the biggest challenge facing the sector. The lack of numbers is obviously a problem, but more alarming is the lack of quality within the labour force.
Qualifications have been watered down and in my opinion been too closely aligned to the requirements of big business, which often conflict with our needs as SMEs. Colleges have also too often been complicit as the system does not incentivise them to produce quality graduates.
I am feeling the impact of the skills crisis in my company. Our order book is full for the next three-years, and we plan to open a showroom before the end of the year, which could well increase demand. I would love to expand my workforce, but I just can’t seem to get the labour I need without compromising on quality; something I am not prepared to do.
One of the changes I would like to see is to increase the amount of funding employers receive for training apprentices. Additional funding would allow companies to free up resource to properly invest in the training they provide. Improving the quality of the training would undoubtedly improve the quality of the trades.
I am cautiously confident that the new Welsh qualifications system, where employers are far more involved, is a step in the right direction and could act as a springboard for further improvements. Only time will tell!
Q: What do you value the most about your FMB membership?
My membership ensures that I stay on top of industry news through various channels such as the member webinars and the Master Builder magazine. I also make regular use of the business helplines which I find very useful.
Becoming a Wales Board member has given me the chance to have my say on industry matters and has provided me with the opportunity to network with fellow builders who share a similar mindset to me on the need to raise the quality bar.
The Master Builder Awards has also been of great value to my company. We have been fortunate enough to have won a few Awards in Wales over the years which has been an invaluable marketing tool for us.
Q: How do you feel about becoming the new Wales President and what do you hope to achieve in the position?
I feel very privileged. I hope that when my two-years are up that I am viewed as a President who listened to the concerns of fellow members and did all he could to ensure that their voice was heard by the likes of Government and governing bodies.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy working on the garden and seeing it grow. I also enjoy spending quality time with Jo, my wife. Jo has been there for me through thick and thin; I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.
Other than that, like most builders, I have very little time away from work. I can’t complain; I genuinely love my job!
Q: How can members contact you?
I am more than happy for members to get in touch! They can either call me on 01443 561 540 or 07966 165 649, or email me on [email protected].
