a family affair: Danny king's story
Managing director Danny King leads Holcim UK’s asphalt division, comprising more than 400 employees and over 50 sites nationwide. He comes from humble beginnings and is dedicated to encouraging the next generation of talent into the construction sector, which includes his son.
following in footsteps and leaving new ones
Danny King’s rise through the Holcim ranks started in 1999, following in the footsteps of his mother, who worked in the company’s logistics team at the time. As a 20-year-old who no longer lived at home, working on the same site as his mum gave Danny a welcome opportunity to see her on a daily basis.
Danny said: “I grew up in a very small quarrying village near Stamford so lots of local people worked in the quarries. Naturally, I was very aware of the industry because I was always surrounded by it, and then my mum was the first person who mentioned that a job had come up at Holcim, known as Aggregate Industries at the time.
“Back then, I was working for another construction company in a technical testing role, but I made the move to Holcim as I knew it had a great track record of promoting people within the business and nurturing its team members. From what my mum had told me, I would have a clear progression path within the company, so I decided to apply and, luckily, got the job.”
After joining the company, Danny undertook lots of training before completing a business degree at Loughborough University, which was funded by Holcim. This allowed him to work his way up into a senior position without following the more traditional route of going to university first. This attitude and eagerness to learn rubbed off on Danny’s son, Callum, who followed in his dad’s footsteps.
like father, like son
Callum studied for his A-levels during the Covid-19 pandemic. But with everything going on in the world and uncertainty about his career prospects, he decided the traditional University route was not for him.
Danny said: “I think the experience of learning during the pandemic was a real eye-opener for Callum. It made him realise that maybe university wasn’t the right route for him. He told me that, instead, he was going to look into degree apprenticeship courses where he could learn on the job, which I was more than happy about.
“He looked into opportunities in various industries, including in construction at Holcim, but I never told anyone he was my son as I wanted him to apply off his own back. He went through the application process and then came to me and said Holcim was the best fit for him.”
Callum recently moved away to live in Somerset after accepting a promotion to a managerial role within Holcim’s building materials division.
Danny said: “He seems to be loving life. It’s strange he’s not living at home anymore but I’m sure he’ll be back at some point. I’m really proud of him.”
dedication over degree
Although Danny has worked at Holcim for more than 26 years, he’s never been in the same role for longer than five years at a time. This constant change, progression and opportunity has allowed Danny to work his way up from junior to director without needing a degree or specific qualification to get his foot in the door.
Danny said: “I’ve had the privilege of moving around the country in my roles, managing lots of different teams across Holcim’s product divisions. I’ve worked in aggregates, ready-mix and asphalt, so I’ve seen our business from different angles. That’s what’s always kept me interested and motivated.
“There aren’t many billion-pound businesses where people can move around so much. I have driven a loading shovel, mixed asphalt and been in the lab testing materials, and now I oversee the growth and business strategy of my division.”
In his current role, no two days are ever the same for Danny. The asphalt division makes, sells and dispatches all its products to ensure they’re laid on the road within approximately three hours of leaving site – always keeping Danny on his toes.
“My favourite days at work are when I’ve got my PPE on and I’m out on site talking to our teams about their operations, safety and how we can improve the environments they’re working in,” Danny said.
Talking about the products his division oversees, Danny explained the importance of improving the quality of the UK’s roads.
He said: “I think it’s key that we educate decision makers about the negative consequences of opting for quick, cheap fixes on road surfaces. Investing in quality, long-term solutions will always be the better answer.
“We’re continuing to work with local authorities, especially with our Live Labs project, to better the future of asphalt and create roads that are safe for everyone who uses them.”
it's the climb
From climbing the ranks at Holcim to taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge in 2025, it's safe to say Danny isn't afraid to test himself. And, of course, his son Callum has been right behind him the whole time.
Danny said: “Callum and I wanted to raise money for the British Heart Foundation for personal reasons, so we spoke about doing the Three Peaks Challenge. We did it with other dads and sons and my other son, Harvey. It was great to see their ability to keep going even when things got tough. We raised just over £4,700 and completed it in 22 hours and 57 minutes.”
If that wasn’t already enough of an accomplishment, Danny is planning on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro next year too – but Callum is going to sit this one out.
We wish Danny all the best with his next challenge and are thankful his mum encouraged him to apply to Holcim back in 1999. The future looks very bright indeed for Holcim’s father-and-son duo.
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