- What is your name and what is the name of your business?
My name is Peter Parker (AKA Spiderman – not really!) and I am the Managing Director of The Birchwood Group of companies.
- What does the business do and who are your customers?
We are largely automotive retailers. We have several different Car, Light Commercials and Motorcycle brands from Ford, Kia, MG, Omoda/Jaecoo and Chery on car/CV to KTM, Triumph and MV Augusta on motorbikes, and also a small body-shop chain. We have sixteen sales points from Dorset all the way long the south coast to Hastings. We employ around 235 people and we turnover approximately £200 million a year.
- What’s the history of the business & what’s your role within the business?
The history of the business is that Birchwood was acquired by new shareholders and was grown into the business it is today from a relatively small-scale enterprise. We have now increased the scale of the business to around four times its original turnover. I am the Managing Director, so I oversee the whole business in its entirety. I am also a shareholder of the organisation as well.
- How long have you been using Freshmill and why were you looking for a space like this?
I didn’t know about Freshmill until about five years ago. I had taken on a new head of operations who was familiar with Freshmill and introduced me to it. We have been using it very regularly ever since! We use it mainly for business meetings with staff and clients. I live just a mile down the road so will sometimes come in and use it for a quiet space to work away from home.
- Why does Freshmill work well for you and your business?
Being in Haywards Heath, Freshmill is a good central point for the whole of the south coast as well as London and other surrounding towns. This works really well for us as it is accessible for both our staff meetings, where staff are coming from branches all along the south coast, but also our clients and manufacturers, who may well be coming down from London or Crawley for example. So location is key for us, and the proximity to the station is also excellent.
- What is the most important lesson you have gained from your career so far?
I think being my authentic self is really important. I run the business in my own style – rightly or wrongly – and I am not defined by my role. I would much rather be defined by who I am as I’m also a Father of two, a half decent citizen and other things. I think that then translates into a more engaging leadership style, where people can relate to me as a human rather than just a job title.
- Where do you hope to be in 5 years’ time?
I would hope to still be working; I am not one to give up work, it would frankly be a depressing prospect! However, I probably won’t be working at the intense level than I am at the moment. By that point it might be a good idea to adjust the work/life balance a bit…. or maybe a surfboard attendant in Hawaii, that’s always the other option!!
- What advice would you give your younger self just starting out?
Do it your own way. Make mistakes and learn from them. Don’t be bullied by barriers and parameters and social tropes and personalities and people around you. Learn from them, do it your own way, and see how far it takes you.
- What is your favourite quote/mantra?
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
- If you could, who would you switch places with for the day, and why?
It’s topical at the moment, but I think I would like to be Donald Trump (minus the blonde Brillo pad hair), and spend the day trying to put everything right again!
