Diary of an Entrepreneur

Diary of an Entrepreneur

B&M Waste Services is a long-established business that is now in its second generation of family ownership.

My father Ken has been the driving force behind B&M for many years and now the day to day business is run by myself and my three brothers – David, Graham and Paul – alongside an experienced senior management team.

I left school and started at the company as an apprentice, laying water and gas mains and undertaking fabrication work.

I spent almost ten years working my way up, learning about the industry and how the business operates. I believe that starting at the bottom holds real benefits – it helps you to appreciate the whole spectrum of the business and the value of every staff member.
As part of our community ethos, B&M now employs a number of young apprentices and we also have a Graduate Training Scheme which I am very proud of.

I ‘moved upstairs’ in 1999 when the company was incorporated as B&M Waste Services and we started with just one vehicle. It was very much grass roots but over the past 15 years the business has grown steadily and organically, with my role developing alongside.
Although I still like to be hands-on when I can in terms of the operational side of the business, my focus is more on client relationships and strategic development. My experience has allowed me to identify new areas of business as well as new services which can benefit our customers.

Much of the industry is driven by legislation so it is also important that I plan ahead for any major short and long-term changes.

Recognising your weaknesses is vital – we are looking to move to the next level in 2014 and have brought in a number of industry experts in core areas to strengthen our position.
B&M has grown significantly over the past decade and now provides total waste management solutions to commercial and public sector clients such as NHS Trusts, local authorities and schools and universities. We are proud to be playing a key part in helping clients to achieve their green targets as well as make significant cost savings.