Nikki tells us more about her role, what she enjoys about working for Eden, and why women should be encouraged to look at a career in construction.

A growing company

“Eden has really grown since I joined, and it’s been great to see it evolve into the thriving business it is today,” says Nikki.

“Before this job, I worked in catering for the local authority but decided to go for something new. At the time, I wasn’t sure if it was the right move, but happily it’s all worked out!”

Nikki appreciates how as a mother with young children who was new to the industry, Eden has been accommodating in training her and allowing hours that meant she was able to balance work with a busy home life.

Nikki entered the company in an administrative role, but her role has evolved since she first started:

“To begin with I was doing stationery orders, some data entry for invoices alongside Pauline [Surridge, Finance Manager], checking orders and managing our subcontractor database – general day-to-day admin. But gradually I became more involved with the buying side of things, and working with Lynn [Hughes, Buyer at Eden Facades]. Over time, I learned I was good at the communication necessary for the role.”

Learning through success

Nikki grew into the role very quickly, and now spends her time working with our supply chain partners to ensure the right supplies get to site on time. She learned primarily on the job, and with every day bringing a new challenge, Nikki found the steep learning curve the perfect way to learn how to meet the role’s demands:

“The biggest challenge for me is sourcing products or materials when there is a tight timeframe, or when there has been a delay in receiving a product from a supplier. But we have great working relationships with our suppliers, and we’re able to mitigate any delays so as not have a knock-on impact on the scheduled works.”

Working as a team

Nikki works with both our office and site-based teams to ensure they have everything they need, juggling many different priorities at once. No two days are the same, with tasks interrupted by frequent phone calls, but she says the lively nature of the job is a rewarding challenge:

“We’re all very busy, but one of the things I enjoy about working for Eden is the friendly colleagues, there’s a great atmosphere and I look forward to coming to work.

“Everyone helps each other, we collaborate as a team to address challenges, and you don’t see that teamwork everywhere. I think that’s part of the reason we really stand out from our competitors.”

Throw aside stereotypes

Nikki’s delighted that more women are making the decision to look for careers within the construction industry. At Eden Facades, we understand the importance of making the sector more appealing to women, and we’re committed to providing an environment that offers greater equality.

“If I were to advise someone thinking of coming into this industry,” says Nikki, “I’d say don’t judge construction on what you might sometimes hear. It’s more than men on a building site. At Eden Facades, we’re doing so much varied and exciting work.

“I had no hesitation in recommending a career in construction to my daughter, for instance, who’s currently at university but she’s going to be joining the Eden team for a couple of days a week, too!”

Tony Hill, Managing Director at Eden Facades comments: “Nikki was our first employee, and we were lucky to find her, she works hard and is very good at her job. We know that having the right people on our team is crucial, and allows us to deliver the high standard of work that we’re known for.”

If you’d like to find out more about how we work, or to talk to use about vacancies within the team, contact office@edenfacades.com. Don’t forget you can also connect with us on LinkedIn to receive all the latest company news.