Reasons to be cheerful

“Yesterday I posted on Linked In, and other social media channels, an article looking at the opportunities and challenges for the construction sector and what Minoli are doing in response to better support our clients.

It was by any standard a remarkably interesting day.

As any good day should, this one began with a breakfast in one of the more chic brasserie restaurants in the Surrey Hills, with a major client of Minoli who builds some rather wonderful properties. For as many years as I care to recall, once a year I will, along with my colleague Daniel, spend a morning with this particular client, catching up on specifications and the market. More importantly, on this occasion, this involved a guided tour of all of their live sites, including three quite unique and inspiring developments.

The managing director who has nothing but enthusiasm for his company and the properties they build, explained in detail the thought process behind each and every house type and the subtle differences, as well as why the locations chosen were suitable for their particular brand. From a village-like development in West Sussex, through to an exclusive enclave in rural Surrey and ending up at a remarkable town centre apartment building.

This was a morning that demonstrated how a company with drive and passion can continue to build, and build to a very high quality, despite all the challenges faced over the past two years.

The second part of the day was quite different but equally inspiring.

Minoli have a long history of working with the automotive industry, from our early days in manufacturing of terrazzo through to today, where Minoli have clients throughout the UK and Europe.

The appointment for this particular afternoon involved the client (a major automotive powerhouse), the design and architectural team and various suppliers and contributors.

Again, despite all the challenges faced over the past two years and those to come (don’t mention computer chips), the meeting was upbeat, dynamic and full of confidence for the future.

The program for the UK is nothing short of ambitious, but from being there in the room with the team, I was left in no doubt that all that they were looking to achieve – they would. 

As a company we serve several main client groups – industry disciplines if you like – and it could be argued that the needs of say a housebuilder and a car manufacturer are quite different. But it struck me looking back at that particular and rather intense day – people work with people – and those with mutually aligned goals not only find each other but grow together. 

For Minoli it is a privilege to supply these companies and the many others like them that make up the Minoli client portfolio. For me personally it is an honour to be invited to be involved so closely with the development and growth plans of these companies.“