Splitting his time between AW Hardy and our sister company, W&H Roads, there’s never a dull moment for Harry.

We asked Harry for some insights into a typical day in his role, and what he loves the most about being part of the team.

 

How do you start your day?

Around 7.50am, I’ll go over to the W&H Group’s depot. I’ll have a chat with the mechanics in the workshop to see what they’ve got on and help them prioritise the most important jobs for the day. After that, I’ll do the rounds with the bookings team in the office and have a quick catch up with the Operations Manager and yard staff.

I usually get to my office at AW Hardy around 8.15am. I’ll go through my emails and create a to-do list – but this list will inevitably need to change as the day progresses, as the job can be very reactive at times.

In the afternoon, I’ll check in with Jess, one of the directors at W&H Group, before spending some time with Dave/Mark (AWH) to make sure I’m up to speed with progress on our current projects. I usually like to be in/around the yard at W&H to speak to our drivers as they’re coming back into the yard at about 4pm; I think it’s important to show my face as much as possible.

 

What are you primarily responsible for within the business?

As you can probably tell, my work is very varied.

I can often get pulled from pillar to post, dealing with everything from overseeing our finances, to ordering parts/materials and driving vehicles/plant if necessary. I’m also one of the first points of contact for our marketing team and will often be asked to brainstorm ideas or approve content.

But because I have done a lot of the jobs within our business, I do like to muck in onsite when I can. I know how our operations work, so you’ll often find me involved with more practical tasks.

 

What are the biggest challenges in your role?

Splitting my time between both businesses can be tricky at times. However, I think I have a knack for working through tasks methodically and logically, so this serves me well when I’m having to manage and prioritise the workloads for each team.

 

What do you enjoy the most about working in the construction industry?

Anyone working in our space will know that the construction sector can be hard at times. I can spend a lot of my working week solving problems that are impacting our progress. That said, it’s fantastic to be able to step back at the end of a contract and look at what you have achieved for the client. There’s nothing more rewarding.

 

What are you proud of?

I’m proud that both businesses have been going for so long. We have had the opportunity to work on so many successful projects since we started trading. I often look at the builds we have completed in the past and feel immensely proud of our staff and contractors for delivering such incredible work.

I also love the feeling that comes with giving something back to our community. We’ve been involved in lots of initiatives over the years; for example, W&H Roads has sponsored a local children’s football team, and we’ve done lots of fundraising for Southend Hospital. It makes me happy knowing that we can use our strong position to help others.

 

What do you do to relax?

Outside of work, I enjoy playing golf, when the weather is good!