Loyalty and hard work have earned one of Redrow’s most respected directors a special achievement award.
Construction director Keith Collard was presented with the accolade at the company’s recent Building Responsibly Awards, to mark and honour an outstanding career which has spanned 30 years and seen him rise through the ranks.
Keith from Chorley, began his working life with Redrow as trainee assistant site manager in 1989, after starting as a forklift driver for the Whelmar Homes operation that Redrow had acquired two years earlier.
But his passion for the job has seen him move constantly upwards to become one of its respected managers and he took on his current director’s role at Redrow Homes (Lancashire) 14 years ago.
Praising Keith, Warren Thompson, Redrow’s regional chief executive, said: “It is perhaps because of the career path that Keith has followed that he has excelled in bringing many through to the position of site manager and beyond, from apprentices and those who followed the trainee route.
“His is a passion that has been borne from his own journey, keen to see others follow and flourish in his footsteps. Keith has always been very successful in growing his own, ensuring that all those who are part of his team are nurtured in the Redrow way – and the Collard way!
“In doing so, he fosters stability and a commitment to quality, customer service and loyalty.”
Keith’s is a career signposted by many awards and milestones.
Married to Anne, who also works for Redrow, he was an early winner of the NHBC Pride in the Job Awards before guiding, supporting and encouraging those around him to commit to the same high standards. Many of his team have gone on to win Pride in the Job Awards, including the coveted Seal of Excellence, plus NHBC Health and Safety Awards. Lancashire site managers in Keith’s team have also won back to back national LABC Construction Professional Awards in 2017 and 2018.
He is based at Redrow’s Lancashire division in Buckshaw Village, Chorley, which builds new homes across Lancashire, and parts of Greater Manchester and Merseyside – created when Redrow acquired the Lancashire operation of Whelmar Homes in 1987.
Keith said he was delighted and honoured to receive the special commendation: “It’s hard to believe that I will complete three decades with Redrow in June this year – not including the time I spent on Redrow sites before I was ‘on the payroll’. But every one of those decades, every one of those years, has been an absolute delight and this award means a lot because it is in recognition of all those years of work.
“I am proud to work for a company with such a reputation not only for building homes with such quality, but for building and nurturing its staff in the same way – and it’s that which I treasure being a part of most.
“As much as I enjoy my job, and as much as this award means, the pleasure comes from seeing young people come through the ranks like I did; and helping apprentices and site managers to develop their own careers and reach their potential. That is a huge part of what I do and it’s made easier by Redrow’s commitment to training and valuing people.”
