CFJ talks exclusively to Ed Hammond, managing director of PC Flooring. Here are excerpts from the interview, the full version of which will appear in the July edition of CFJ.
PC Flooring is a family-owned business which prides itself on providing a quality level of service and which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. The company was established in May 2004 offering proprietary and traditional screeds. More recently, it’s diversified its services to include flowing screeds and underfloor heating enabling the delivery of the entire floor zone. PC Flooring has spent the past 20 years building what it describes as an unrivalled service throughout central and southern England.
DS: How and when was the company founded?
EH: PC Flooring was founded in 2004 by my father, Ian. He started in the industry by producing and specifying screeds across the UK. PC Flooring is still 100% privately owned, which is a testament to him. I was appointed managing director at the start of the 2023 financial year following my 10-year tenure.
DS: Detail your early life in a nutshell.
EH: I was born into a family of four brothers in Poole in 1996. Growing up, there was plenty of mischief! I was educated through the public school system before undertaking a higher national certificate. It was a complete waste of time following a standardised curriculum. How much of the school curriculum has any relevance to daily life? Why aren’t we taught to fill out a VAT return, set up a bank account or to know the ins-and-outs of a mortgage? What young people need are real life-skills.
DS: At what point did you know you’d follow your father into the business?
EH: I joined the business 11 years ago. Things were very different back then with a staff of only four people. I started on the tools working with my elder brother before moving across to work in the office. We’re still working together a decade later which is great. Our roles might have reversed but he still reckons he taught me everything I know. Settle down, big boy!
DS: Have you noticed new trends in the screeds market?
EH: In recent years, the market has shifted towards liquid screeds, driven by speed of installation and being less labour intensive. We’ve invested in a fleet of machinery and vehicles as well as the recruitment of a strong team to manage projects independently rather than relying on subcontractors. We try to do as much in-house as possible.
DS: Give me a sense of an average day for you, from the moment you get up to last thing at night?
EH: My time is divided so it’s not easy to give a linear answer; I try to structure each day but inevitably it’s a pipedream. Issues arise to which I need to react, mostly revolving around problem-solving – anything from sales and chasing payments to negotiating with subcontractors and suppliers. I try to mentor our younger members of staff but I feel guilty at not finding enough time. It’s something we should work on in our industry, working on the skillsets of young people coming through. As head teaboy I’ll load and unload the dishwasher at the end of the day.
DS: What is PC Flooring’s turnover?
EH: Turnover in 2023 was £5m. We have grown 23% year on year since 2021 with further growth forecast as we enter a new financial year in April. We’re on a pretty strong trajectory.
Read JULY CFJ for the full interview
