From Signaller/Combat Engineer to Branch Manager

Stuart joined the Royal Engineers as a Signaller/ Combat Engineer in 1994, enjoying a colourful career that included three months in the regimental boxing team. After leaving the forces, he joined BSS Stockton as a temporary Driver/ Warehouseman in May 2000.

“As a teenager, all I ever wanted was to join the Army – and leaving the Royal Engineers was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Whilst in the Forces, I received constant training, with highlights including getting my Tank and Motorcycle Licences and being selected for a Cadre as a reconnaissance driver/signaller.

After leaving the Army, my driving skills helped me get a delivery job with a furniture company. However, I knew this was just a stop-gap as I was keen to build a career. I saw an advert in the local paper for a temporary Driver/Warehouseman at BSS Stockton and decided to find out more.

When I spoke to the Branch Manager, I realised that many of the staff had worked there for a long time. This made me think it couldn’t be a bad place to work, so I gave it a go – and never looked back. The more time I spent working at BSS, the more I realised I could climb up the ladder here.

I started out working on a big project to build a new hospital in Teesside. Luckily, I made a good impression and my role was made permanent. Over the next few years, I was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Internal Sales and Regional Operations Support Manager.

I was also seconded to Head Office in Leicester for 15 months to work on the K8 project, designing and testing a new computer system. This was a real highlight as it helped me network with lots of people and get me noticed, so I was able to work on other projects to improve my knowledge and further my career.

In 2012, I was appointed Branch Manager at BSS Cambridge. Taking over my own branch has been my biggest achievement – but also my biggest challenge! Running a branch with an annual turnover of £7 million is a massive responsibility.

There’s no such thing as a typical day, with duties ranging from serving on the trade counter to sorting out a water leak at the local hospital. Keeping a team of 15 people happy is also a full time job and it’s a constant challenge to offer the best possible service and keep ahead of the competition.

Being in the Forces changed me as a person and I’ve brought many of the things I learned there to BSS, such as punctuality and a strong work ethic. Like many ex-Service people, I really missed being part of a team – but now I have my own team and I like us to socialise and be a close group. The people are easily the best part of working at BSS and I’ve made many lifelong friends here. My three years as Branch Manager have flown by and I’m very happy in the role. Having said that, I’m always looking to progress and would like to become Regional Director at some point.

To any ex-Forces personnel thinking about joining BSS, I would say ‘Give it a go’ – just like I did. When I first started, I had no industry knowledge at all, but over the last 15 years I’ve built a fantastic career here. Yes, you’ll need to put the hard work in to succeed, but the business will look after you. So if you’re willing to learn and want to be part of a big and amazing team, BSS is the place for you.