Paul Rounce, technical development manager

Paul Rounce has more than 20 years of technical experience under his belt, having taken a two-year youth training scheme placement as a laboratory technician testing hardened concrete samples when he left sixth form college in 1996.

He later moved to a local authority’s lab testing a variety of construction materials before joining Heidelberg Materials in 2003 as a laboratory technician based in Scunthorpe.

“I have huge amounts of respect for the efforts and work the technical team carries out and the contribution it makes to growing the business, which is one of the main reasons I wanted to joined the company,” said Paul, who took on a number of senior and supervisory roles within the laboratory before becoming laboratory manager in 2015. Two years later he became a technical development manager (TDM), covering central UK. 

“The size of the area I cover can be a challenge but I enjoy the variety my TDM role provides,” he added. “Day to day I can be liaising with customers on mix design; helping them with technical support onsite; working with our commercial team to grow our business; or delivering a CPD presentation or seminar to specifiers and other end users. I also represent the company on the Concrete Society’s Yorkshire region committee.

“Working in Heidelberg Materials’s technical team provides good opportunities for self-development and building good contacts across Heidelberg Materials’s business lines and our supply chain. Although I work independently, I always know I can pick up the phone to my line manager or the sales team I work closely with for support or advice.

“If you want to work hard, have some great colleagues, feel part of a team and know you have played a part of something big, I would highly recommend it.”