MEET THE TEAM – ROB
What do you do at Polyfoam XPS?
My title is Technical and Specification Manager, which is a very varied role. No two days are the same!
A huge part of my work is providing technical support to architects, specifiers and system holders using Polyfoam XPS products in floors, walls and roofs. I also help customers who use our products in more unusual applications, which makes for plenty of interesting conversations.
How did your career path bring you to Polyfoam XPS?
I’ve held technical roles and been involved with construction throughout my career. During my summer breaks from university, I laid floors for the family building business. Since then, I’ve worked for a waterproofing system holder and another insulation manufacturer. Joining Polyfoam XPS was the perfect next step and appealed from the start given the knowledge of the brand and quality of the people within the business.
What are you most proud at having achieved at Polyfoam XPS so far?
My Polyfoam colleagues are a great team people, and together we have achieved a tremendous amount as the company has changed.
Personally, my favourite achievement was writing our CPD session on floor insulation and getting it accredited. I like being able to make the practical – and occasionally mundane! – world of construction products more interesting to specifiers and designers.
What projects or innovations most excite you for the future?
Probably the ones we don’t know about yet. Extruded polystyrene has a massive range of existing and potential uses, and it’s exciting to explore and develop new applications with innovative partners in construction and beyond.
What is something about working at Polyfoam XPS that might surprise people?
For anyone who is relatively unfamiliar with the Polyfoam name, they might be surprised by the vast experience and knowledge of the people who work here. Many of the team have over 40 years of experience within the manufacturing and construction industries.
How do you see the built environment changing for the better?
There is a clear need for transparency about product performance and testing information. Several schemes and initiatives have been set up to demonstrate manufacturer claims, and it will be for the benefit of the whole industry when product performance characteristics are clearer and more comparable.
What hobbies outside work?
Sport, sport and more sport! I regularly watch Ipswich Town with my family, and I coach my children’s youth football teams. We’ve also found a love for fishing, which is a great way to spend time in the fresh air with my two boys.
If you could do another job in another industry, what would it be?
The construction industry is so varied that I’ve never really thought about other industries. I find construction details and the science of buildings interesting, so if I wasn’t doing my current work I’d like to be more involved in junction detailing and thermal modelling. When I built my garden office, I made sure it has some of the most robust psi values around!
What’s a fun fact about you that people may not know?
I once cycled down the world’s most dangerous road! After university I spent time backpacking in Southeast Asia and South America. My favourite country was Bolivia. Despite being told it might be a difficult place to visit, the people, landscape and experiences were amazing.
To discuss your project or technical query with Rob, or to request a U-value calculation, email technical@polyfoamxps.co.uk