Meet Matt Roberts, our new Head of Pre-construction
Here at Thorpes we are fortunate to possess an enviable amount of knowledge and experience within both our office and factory, and Matt Roberts has both in spades.
With a varied and wide-ranging career path, Matt possesses an equally wide-ranging set of skills, skills that mean he would simply be wasted by being limited to one department. Read on to find out exactly what this means for Matt, Thorpes and most importantly, our clients.
The Journey to Present Day
Matt’s career in Construction started in Bishop’s Stortford (in a year that he won’t let us mention) when he was first introduced to the role of Quantity Surveyor, and this would prove to be just the start of a nigh-on 40-year journey in construction.
With a career spanning many (many) years, seven other construction companies and well over 500 projects, with such big numbers, it is strange to think that Matt’s 11-year stay at Thorpes Joinery started thanks to a singular conversation on a train with a stranger…
In 2011, said stranger, formally known as John Thorpe, brought him in as a part-time Project Manager. But, in true Matt style, it would not be long before we learned that his skillset was not suited to be limited to a single department, and so Matt provided support to our Commercial department.
His responsibilities, workload and influence increased across the years as his natural management skills meant he eventually took our Commercial and Estimating team under his wing.
Since then, Matt has been involved in some of our most impressive jobs over the years, most notably playing a huge part in our largest project to date. At well over 200k+ sq ft, this project changed the way Thorpes as a company approached future jobs, largely due to the increased reassurance and confidence in our work and ability to perform on a larger scale.
60 Seconds with Matt:
Do you eat or drink soup?
I’d sip a consommé and eat a chunky soup
Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Jack Black
What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?
Sheep’s testicles
Do you prefer a hot holiday or a cold holiday?
Hot
What is your favourite meal?
Dover Sole with Capers & Beurre Noisette
What is the top of your bucket list?
Sail across the Atlantic in a yacht, ideally in a race
What is a weird food combination that you secretly enjoy?
I have none, I don’t consider unusual food combinations weird, I suppose cold lamb curry in a warm crusty roll with HP sauce could be considered a little weird
“‘The past decade at Thorpes has been nothing but amazing.
Of course, there have been challenging moments where both my own and others’ skills and expertise have been put to the test however, I couldn’t be prouder to work within a company whose professional presence in the industry is , I feel, unmatched.’”
A New Chapter
We are delighted to announce that Matt has recently taken on a new role as our Head of Pre-Construction.
This role bridges the split between our Commercial, Sales, Estimating, Project and Design departments, supporting all teams whilst promoting collaboration between the teams.
Matt will continue to share his expertise to not only assist with our internal processes but also provide frontline advice and support to our clients in addressing any queries they might have.
With close to four decades of experience spreading across multiple aspects and stages of the construction industry, we have faith that Matt will revel in this role and continue to play a big part in the continued growth, development and evolution of our company.
