A winning performance every time
Family man Leon on what it means to be a true team player
Starting his career as a weighbridge operative, Leon Pennant now coordinates the supply of materials to one of the UK’s biggest transport projects — HS2.
His progress, both within and outside of Holcim, is a testament to his ability to connect with people through a shared understanding of values and wider aims, while never passing up the opportunity to learn something new.
Leon’s current role is sales manager for the Birmingham and Wolverhampton division of Readymix (RMX) Concrete. But his story began more than 30 years ago, when he left school and started an apprenticeship in welding and refrigeration.
This saw him take on team-lead positions. which meant managing installations and fit-outs for supermarkets. Fast forward 20 years and Leon had gained plenty of experience in various roles throughout the construction industry. But with a job that meant he often had to work away from his young family, Leon decided it was time for a change. And that’s when he applied to Holcim.
a new challenge
10 years ago, Leon applied for a role at a Holcim site near to where he was based and started working as a weighbridge operative.
Leon said: “My role positioned me as the face of the plant. Day to day, I’d be dealing with drivers and people coming in to buy products, which meant I was very much people facing.
“After working in that role for two years, the managerial team at Holcim asked me what I wanted to do in terms of my next steps within the business, and that’s when I first seriously thought about pursuing the commercial route.”
Leon completed several sales management courses in his own time to gain qualifications to further enhance his skill set. His first role in the commercial sector was business manager for Newark and Peterborough units.
He went on to successfully grow these business units from two to five in five years. In that time, Leon also secured framework agreements with local authorities, which provided a stable revenue stream and enhanced the company’s reputation and credibility within the construction industry.
Six years later, Leon moved into his current role, managing the mainstream part of the RMX business in the new Birmingham flagship facility. That’s where he embarked on both his biggest challenge and success to date.
Birmingham Curzon Street Station is set to become a thriving departure point as part of Britain’s new high-speed railway, HS2. And Leon wanted to make sure Holcim had a key part to play in this historic construction project.
He said: “My involvement in this project started with the standard pursuit of a tender, which led to the opportunity to present our service offerings and, ultimately, secure this prestigious project with key stakeholders. This was succeeded by our team, who provided extensive technical laboratory trials to deliver sustainable solutions, diligent logistics management, quality assurance and careful planning.
“Through regular performance and programme meetings, we have successfully delivered on all our promises, gaining an immense amount of trust from our partners.”
It’s not only meticulous communication and planning that this project demands from Leon and his team, but also a huge amount of product.
“We anticipate delivering approximately 30,000m3 for this phase, equating to around 70,000 tonnes of aggregate and 11,000 tonnes of cement,” Leon said.
“This accomplishment has demanded an exceptional effort from our close-knit team in the West Midlands, and I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to every person who played a part.
“The project has exemplified our strategy of bringing the best out of people, driven by a strong sense of purpose and commitment to achieving outstanding performance.”
And this sense of pride Leon has in his team doesn’t only apply to his role within Holcim.
A true team player
When he isn’t at work, Leon is a proud, family-focused man, spending as much time as he can with his 24-year-old daughter, 11-year-old son and two-year-old granddaughter.
Leon also plays six-a-side football on Thursday nights with friends he’s known since school. And his sporting interest doesn’t stop there; in recent years, Leon has taken up cycling and participated in several charity rides.
Leon said: “Holcim actually sponsored me to take part in a 100-mile charity ride to Skegness last year, after I took up cycling as a hobby. This was to raise money for the LOROS charity, which provides hospice care for terminally ill adult patients across Leicestershire and Rutland. And I’m also planning to take part in another charity ride this July to raise money for the Living Without Abuse (LWA) charity, which supports those suffering from domestic abuse or sexual violence.
“The ride will take place from Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire to Skegness, and we’ll ride the entire 100 miles in one day.”
Whether he’s at work negotiating historic project deals, playing football with friends, cycling to raise money for charity or spending time with his family, Leon embodies what it means to be a team player – making sure he puts in a winning performance every time.
To donate to Leon’s LWA fundraiser, please click here.
