Meet the dedicated team central to the success of our main business hub
Ivor King’s Facilities Team has been busy commissioning a state-of-the-art new office block at our Nuneaton Headquarters. We take you on a tour behind the scenes to meet the people who make it happen.
At the heart of our central hub is a team whose work often happens behind the scenes — but whose impact is seen everywhere. Led by Facilities Manager Dave Brown and supported by Facilities Team Operatives Paul Chandler and Andy York, our in-house Facilities Team plays a vital role in maintaining and continually improving our offices, workshops, and operational spaces.
As Ivor King has grown and expanded, so too has the need for a dedicated team to support that development. What started as employees contributing in other areas of the business has evolved into a skilled, committed Facilities Team that now manages and enhances the environment that keeps our operations running smoothly. It’s this kind of cross-team collaboration that helps ensure every project is not only completed to a high standard, but also fully fit for purpose.
Together, Dave, Paul and Andy bring a wide range of practical skills and experience, allowing the business to carry out everything from day-to-day maintenance to large-scale building projects entirely in-house. They’re also supported by colleagues from across the business when needed—bringing in additional skills and expertise for specific projects.
Meet The Team
Dave Brown – Facilities Manager
With a background in construction specialising in wet trades such as bricklaying and plastering, Dave brings decades of hands-on experience. His leadership, problem-solving approach and ‘have a go’ attitude continue to drive improvements across the site.
Paul Chandler – Facilities Team
Paul plays a key role in supporting both maintenance and project work across the site. From assisting with major developments to tackling day-to-day operational tasks, his versatility helps keep everything running efficiently.
Andy York – Facilities Team
Andy is equally integral to the team, contributing across a wide range of projects and maintenance work. His practical approach and willingness to get stuck in make him a valuable part of the team’s day-to-day success.
A Transformation Built In-House
The team’s most ambitious project to date has been the commissioning of our modern new offices. This included the complete refurbishment of the existing office space, alongside the full conversion of a former vehicle repair workshop into a professional, contemporary workspace.
It’s a transformation we’re incredibly proud of – not just because of the finished result, but because it was delivered by our own people. The project showcases the capability, adaptability and commitment of the Facilities Team.
Q&A with Facilities Manager Dave Brown
We sat down with Dave to learn more about his team, the recent office transformation, and what goes on behind the scenes…
Q: Dave, tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up at Ivor King?
A: Absolutely. I’ve been in the building trade since I was a teenager. I started out working weekends for a local builder while I was still at school, and that’s where I really got into bricklaying. After finishing school, I completed my City & Guilds Level 3 in Bricklaying and then spent over 20 years working mainly as a private builder.
Around 2011, I was working on a renovation and extension for Simon King, our CEO. He asked if I’d consider working for the company full-time. I came in, had a look around, liked what I saw – and I’ve been here ever since.
Q: Your background is in construction—how has that helped in your role as Facilities Manager?
A: It’s been a huge advantage. When you’re a private builder, you end up doing a bit of everything, so you develop a real “have a go” attitude. You learn to take on new challenges, even when there’s a steep learning curve.
Over the years, I’ve picked up skills like planning schedules of work, coordinating different trades, and managing projects from start to finish. All of that experience translates really well into what I do now.
Q: How has the Facilities Team evolved as the business has grown?
A: It’s been a natural progression. As the business expanded, so did the demands on the site. For example, when we extended the yard, we took on a fire-damaged building, repaired it, and turned it into our main workshop.
Since then, we’ve continued to improve and develop the facilities, investing in the right equipment and building up skills within the team so we can handle more in-house.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you and your team?
A: There’s no such thing as a typical day, really. Between myself, Paul and Andy, we cover a huge range of work. A lot of the team wear multiple hats, which makes us flexible depending on what’s needed.
That said, it’s pretty much a full-time job for all of us now. There’s always something to be done, whether it’s routine maintenance across the site or working on new projects.
Q: Why is having an in-house Facilities Team such an advantage?
A: With a site like ours, it’s essential. Having an in-house team means we can respond quickly and adapt to whatever the business needs.
We’re not waiting on external contractors – we can plan and deliver work on our own terms, to our own standards, which makes a big difference.
Q: What areas of the site are your team responsible for?
A: Pretty much everything! It can be as small as fixing a leaky tap or as big as building a new unit from the ground up.
There’s also a lot of compliance work involved these days—things like fire door checks, organising solar panel inspections, and supporting health and safety, quality, and environmental requirements. A lot of what we do feeds into external audits as well.
Q: The office renovation was a major project. What were the biggest challenges?
A: It was a big job, done in two phases. Phase 1 involved completely refurbishing the existing office – reconfiguring the layout, rewiring electrics and IT, installing air conditioning, solar panels, EV chargers, new kitchens, toilets, fire doors, windows, flooring – the lot.
Once that was finished and staff had moved in, we moved on to Phase 2, which was converting a former vehicle repair workshop into office space. That meant replacing the old metal cladding with proper insulated brick and block walls, adding a second floor, and then linking it all through to the main office.
The biggest challenge was timing. We wanted to complete everything to a reasonable schedule, even though we were doing it in-house. On top of that, Phase 2 was happening while the office was fully operational, so we had to keep noise and disruption to a minimum.
It was very much a team effort as well—not just within Facilities, but across the business. We had a lot of support from the IT team, making sure everything behind the scenes worked as it should.
Q: What are you most proud of when you look at the finished space?
A: Honestly, the fact that we built it ourselves—our team, our skills, all done in-house. That’s something to be really proud of.
It’s also great seeing the space in daily use. The old office was pretty tired, but now we’ve got somewhere we’re genuinely proud to show people. We get a lot of positive feedback, which means a lot to me and the team.
Q: What’s next for the Facilities Team? Any future plans?
A: When you work for Simon King [Ivor King’s CEO], there’s always something on the horizon – he’s not one for standing still!
The offices are largely complete, but there are still finishing touches like the car park and landscaping. We’re also planning to develop an adjoining piece of land with new industrial units.
There’s even talk of a glass-sided conference suite overlooking the training yard, so visitors can watch machine demos in comfort rather than standing out in all weathers.
Q: Finally, what do you enjoy most about your role?
A: I enjoy the challenge and the variety – no two days are the same. But more than anything, it’s about being part of a team. Everyone brings their own strengths, and we all get stuck in to get the job done. We also pride ourselves in keeping everything to a high standard and I’m proud to lead that team.
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