Name: Terry Marsh
Age: 41
Company: Elite Flooring
Job Title: Director
How did you get into the flooring industry?
Flooring is the family business. I started working in that originally and learned the trade. I then went on to start my own company.
What’s been the biggest change in the industry over the past 10 years?
There’s been increasing amounts of health and safety legislation to keep up with, which means more time spent on paperwork unfortunately.
Looking forwards, what do you think will be the biggest change in the next 10 years?
Fewer people are choosing to become flooring contractors, so I think we’ll get a lot busier and be in higher demand.
What’s the worst job you’ve been on?
We installed flooring in new student halls at a nearby university. There were over 500 bedrooms. The timescales were really tight because we had to work around other contractors and the dates were frequently changed the last minute. Did I mention we didn’t get paid because the building company went bust?
And what’s the best?
We installed 1000m2 of carpet tiles and vinyl floorcoverings in the newly built maths block of a local grammar school. When we arrived, the subfloors were already clean, so we could get straight to work. The start and finish dates of the project were exactly as we were told before we started the job too.
Do you have a go-to product for certain jobs?
We use Stopgap 500 Micro all the time for feathering and skimming.
What do you like best about the job?
I enjoy the variety of jobs we get. No two days are the same, and we get to work in lots of different settings.
What is your least favourite thing about the job?
All the health and safety paperwork we have to do.