"It's nice to be nice": Chris Davidson's Story
For Chris Davidson, South Coast operations supervisor for readymix at Holcim UK, getting stuck in, no matter the project, is his favourite thing to do. Whether he’s volunteering at his local train station or taking part in one of the nation’s most-watched DIY shows, he’s always up for a challenge.
Giving back, doing good
Chris is based on the South Coast of England, where he covers various duties across Holcim sites, including driving plant and filling in when staff are on holiday. Throughout his time at Holcim, Chris has never shied away from a new challenge, but it’s his love for making Holcim a great place to work that’s his real passion.
“Here on the South Coast, we pride ourselves on making good changes for the staff,” Chris said. “Most recently, we refurbished our welfare cabins to include washing machines so that staff can keep their clothes clean and fresh.
“The thing I’m most proud of is that this has all been done in-house, in line with our budgets and using the Holcim ‘Your Space, Your Voice’ scheme which lets employees have a say about where they work.”
In Shoreham, Chris oversaw the building of a retaining wall which was part of the site’s requirement to secure planning permission. But instead of leaving it at a basic wall, Chris and the team built a large, raised flower bed to bring a little bit of nature to the site too.
Chris said: “I’ve been involved in quite a few projects for Holcim on the south coast aimed at bringing nature into the places where we work. I take a lot of pride in making a difference, and it’s always really good fun.”
But there’s one project that Chris played a starring role in (in more ways than one) more recently.
Lights, camera, action!
In the latest DIY SOS episode to air on the BBC, even though you couldn’t see him, Chris was heavily involved in the project. Holcim supplied concrete and other building materials for the project and had asked if any staff members wanted to take part – to which Chris volunteered straight away.
“Being involved in the show was absolutely brilliant,” Chris said. “I couldn’t recommend it enough to anyone who gets the opportunity. The sense of achievement you get out of being a part of something so special is amazing. When they did the reveal at the end, we were all nearly in tears – it was the most overwhelming feeling.
“I was involved in a lot of the labour jobs on site, and because they didn’t have any machine operators or people who were qualified to operate the mini diggers on the weekend I was there, I took on that job. They said they needed me to put the water pipe into the property, but what I didn’t realise was that when I brought the digger round the front, the entire film crew, including Gabbi, Billy and Nick, were there watching me!”
The timeline meant that if Chris couldn’t fit the pipe correctly, the entire build could be put at risk.
Chris said: “I didn’t cut through the existing water pipe and managed to install the new one without a hitch. Once it was done, we all cheered; I literally could have cried!”
When he isn’t at work, Chris also volunteers at The Watercress Line – a heritage railway line through the Hampshire countryside - and has even taken part in a historic project to preserve a rail icon.
Preserving for the future
In October 2025, Chris was asked if he’d be interested in helping extend the platform at The Watercress Line so the Flying Scotsman could go through the station.
Chris said: “I was asked to project manage the Flying Scotsman event because of the experience I have through my job at Holcim. The start date for the work was towards the end of January, and I took my wife to New York for her birthday on 15 January. So, as soon as I got back from that trip, the team and I started extending the platform.
“We were also expecting our second baby, so it was a busy time! We extended the platform in just six weeks, finishing on the Tuesday and welcoming the Scotsman into the station on the Thursday.”
Chris’s love for volunteering stems from some tough years that he experienced in his youth. From nearly becoming homeless to having to sell all his belongings to get back on his feet, Chris is keen to help whenever and however he can.
“There’s always someone more in need than you,” Chris said. “That’s why I’ve always found it important to help others. It’s nice to be nice.”
Chris’s little boy is a digger and train enthusiast, so he loves it when his dad gets to bring a digger home.
“He loves the fact that his Daddy gets to play with all the real-life toys that he is used to playing with,” Chris said. “I definitely think he’ll follow in my footsteps.”
Between his volunteering efforts and looking after his young family, Chris has his work cut out. But this doesn’t stop him from making sure he gives back to others whenever he can. Chris is a (TV) star and we are so lucky to have him on our team.
Read more of our stories
Related News and Services
