Th e Driving force behind the COMPETITIVE EDGE A desire to come fi rst has driven the success of Robert
Collard in both racing, the demolition and waste recycling Industry.
A
s a distinguished racing driver who has competed around the world, Robert Collard is used to success - and not just on the track.
Alongside his racing career, Mr Collard is the founder and managing director of the thriving Hampshire-based demolition, skip hire and recycling fi rm R Collard Ltd.
T e company operates six recycling sites across Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, employs 230 full time staff and operates 95 trucks and 75 diggers. Last year it reported a turnover of £28 million and this year is predicting further growth.
“I’ve always been extremely competitive”, says Mr Collard. “I want to be successful in everything I do, whether that is racing a car or running a business. It is not about money, it is about proving I can be better, and in a business sense I try to be better than our competitors.”
Business
Aſt er leaving school, Mr Collard worked for his father’s farm and skip hire business, M Collard, where he carried out a few demolition jobs and identifi ed demolition as a growth area. He then decided in the early 1990s to set up on his own.
“I started with absolutely zero”, he says. “It was very much a case of a small acorn. I had to use my hands to fi x whatever I could. I started with fi xing up an old knackered truck and JCB digger”.
“I then started doing very small jobs for people and developed a reputation and the business grew. I could then tender for contacts and employ staff . I won a big demolition contract with Bloor Homes which was a key milestone.”
Mr Collard’s racing career also followed in the footsteps of his father. Mick Collard raced in the 1980s and today Robert’s sons Ricky and Jordan have
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continued the family tradition and are international racing drivers.
“My father was Hot Rod World Champion in the 80s so I spent many years following him around,” he comments. “I went into it and was British and European champion. I am now in touring cars and am a contracted driver for BMW. I’ve won the British Independent Touring Car Championship in the past.” “I am racing at Rockingham in Corby. I’m also a brand ambassador for BMW.”
Employees
One big advantage of Mr Collard’s racing fame is that it raises the profi le of the demolition and waste business. “T e racing is a major part of our promotion”, he says. “A lot of people from our industry—be it construction, demolition, or waste—have watched my career and seen me climb the ladder.”
Mr Collard also sees a number of parallels between racing and running a demolition company. As well as the competitive nature of both jobs, racing has also taught him the value of his employees.
“I’ve raced with some very large racing teams where every single person is important,” he says. “I try to keep that ethos at work, from the guys fi xing trucks to the drivers and girls in the offi ce, everyone counts and we spend a lot of time on team building.”
T e diffi culty the industry is experiencing in recruiting young people is something Mr Collard sees as a big challenge for the sector. He says: “T ere has been a lot of emphasis on workers from Europe but I think there is not enough on recruitment and apprenticeships. I’d take on a dozen apprentices tomorrow if they turned up, but so few people are applying for roles such as drivers, which is alarming.”
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