Editor: Hello John. Can you start by sharing how you came to work on the Technical Services team?
John Green: My background is in industrial flooring, having spent 34 years working in various locations.
I’d say I kind of came into industrial flooring by chance – but I’m really pleased I did. Fresh from completing a combined degree in biology and chemistry at De Montfort University, in the city of Leicester, (Leicester Polytechnic, as it was known back then), I interviewed at an industrial flooring company and went from there. Whereas, if I’d gone into a clinical lab-based role, I think I would’ve been bored to tears!
Ed: What sort of things do you get up to day-to-day in your role?
JG: The vast majority is written work for site specifications. When our Tech Reps complete their site visits, they make recommendations – i.e., the best course of action for a particular flooring installation and what F. Ball products to use – which needs to be written up. That’s where we come in. We also take general queries from contractors, specifiers and architects, over the phone, via an online form, and by email, as and when they come in.
I also sit on a few trade body committees, including the British Standards Institution. We usually meet twice a year (previously face-to-face, now it’s virtual) and I’m the representative for F. Ball. As a company, it’s important to us to ensure the best advice, best practice and policies are available for our customers and it’s my job to help inform the BSI of F. Ball’s views, so that they are included when customers refer to independent standards. F. Ball has a good relationship with the industry – floorcovering manufacturers and even our competitors – we all work together for everyone’s mutual benefit.
Ed: Any recent queries that stand out?
JG: We often receive requests to help contractors with environmental assessments for new builds – these usually come from the main contractor who requires more in-depth detail about F. Ball products, their physical make-up and formulation, stuff that’s not the contractors’ area of expertise. We’re here to support contractors and make their lives as easy as possible, so we’ll do anything we can to help them.
Ed: Are there any common issues that keep cropping up when you’re speaking with contractors?
JG: Subfloor moisture – I know everyone says that, but it really is the issue we advise on the most.
What people might not know is that we can help if there’s a bit of pressure. For example, if flooring contractors are feeling the heat on new builds and are being pushed to install a floor before the windows, or even the roof, have gone in, we can provide a written report saying why the floor shouldn’t go in under the conditions and what the repercussions will be. This provides contractors with an expert third party recommendation, which quotes British Standards and can also be a useful tool if there is any fallout, such as withheld payments or court action.
Ed: What do you enjoy most about your job?
JG: I really like it when I hear a job has gone ahead to the specification I’ve supplied, and that it has gone well. It really does give me a great deal of satisfaction to hear things have gone to plan.
Ed: Tell us, what’s your favourite F. Ball product?
JG: It’s got to be Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS – it’s very popular with contractors and, as a temperature tolerant pressure sensitive adhesive, it’s a solution our competitors don’t offer.
Ed: What were your career aspirations when you were growing up?
JG: When I was a boy, I wanted to be a fireman. I’m really happy with commercial contract flooring, though – it’s just as exciting.
Ed: And what do you get up to in your spare time?
JG: I live in the Staffordshire Moorlands, so I enjoy hillwalking and getting some fresh air with my new dog, Button, a Spanish greyhound. I’ve always been a big fan of running, but it’s fair to say I’ve been running less as I’ve got older.