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Martin Usher:
Grotech Productions
By Jake Clarkson, André Gulbranson and Oliver Barnes.
Howden School East Riding of Yorkshire Extract:
What do you do for the company? Could you describe a typical day?
I plan future projects, check our development in present projects, check health and safety and do the cleaning!
I get up at 6:30 am, and arrive at work at about 8:15 on arrival I check the computers, and then start working on the things I’ve planned......
Martin Usher CEO of Grotech Productions By Andre Gulbrandsen Martin Usher is the boss and owner of Grotech Production, a Contract manufacturer and packer of agricultural and cleaning chemicals company. Their largest customer is Maxicrop, for whom they produce, among other things, “Maxicrop’s original seaweed growth stimulator”.
As we begin the interview, Mr Usher explains how even though he owns Grotech, he doesn’t wear a suit to work (he wears shorts and a t-shirt with the Grotech logo on them) this is because of his work environment, which is different to for example that of an office.
As he also explains, this can be an advantage for him because delivery drivers often do not realise he is the boss of the company. As he also points out though, it can be a disadvantage when he is meeting a customer or attends an interview (like ours!) because people tend to stereotype you on the clothing you are wearing. He decided to come to our interview in his work clothes to show us what he would normally wear for work.
He is a chemical engineer, which means he studied chemistry, maths and physics for his A-levels. We then learn about his working experience so far: He begins with when he worked for Boots in Nottingham, more specifically the engineering department in the wets factory, which as the name suggests produces the liquid products for Boots.
After working here for 2-3 years, he moved on to work at hundreds of other places, including an aerosol factory. Each of his jobs lasted about 2-3 years each, and gained him a lot of experience.
He then set up a company and let it grow, keeping most of the profit inside it.
Later he sold it and bought another one, re- naming it Grotech Productions.
What is your full job title?
Managing Director.
What do you do for the company? Could you describe a typical day?
I plan future projects, check our development in present projects, check health and safety and do the cleaning!
I get up at 6:30 am, and arrive at work at about 8:15 on arrival I check the computers, and then start working on the things I’ve planned (usually reviewing production) and answer calls from customers. I often do some paperwork as well. I always get loads of questions from the staff and I sometimes have meetings with customers as well. I might finish at around 8:00 pm.
What qualifications did you need to achieve your position?
Because I bought the company I didn’t really need any qualifications as such, but I needed to graduate and all my working experience was really handy.
Did you always want to work in the science industry?
Yes at first I wanted to be an engineer, but I later decided I wanted to be a chemical engineer.
What was your favourite subject in school? Is there any particular lesson/teacher that stands out in your mind?
Out of the three science subjects I liked chemistry, but I also enjoyed English very much.
What are your opinions on the shortage of interest in STEM subjects?
It’s very disappointing.
What approaches in education do you feel need to be taken to breach this gap?
Make them more fun, because kid’s need to play with the world.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? What are your future goals and ambitions?
Well I’m 56 now, so I’m hoping I’ll be retired!
I would like to get the business to a stage where it can function without me, so that I can safely retire.
How is the credit crunch affecting your business?
Not much, we still have lots of sales and customers but they wanting payments earlier now, and the fear is that if a customer goes bankrupt and they owe us, they could pass that bankruptcy on to us. |
