Where are you from originally?
I was born in Stafford, however when I was one week old, we moved to an area just outside of Birmingham where I grew up. I flew the nest for university when I was 18 and moved to Sheffield, where I lived for over 10 years, before moving to Wolverhampton where I’ve lived ever since.
What was your first job?
Other than paper rounds, my first part time job was working in the local Somerfield (remember them?!), filling shelves, working the tills, and various other supermarket tasks.
What job(s) did you have before joining Dawsongroup?
For several years I worked in foodservice wholesale, managing a variety of sites with both collect and delivery services. I’ve also spent some time in hydraulics, managing branch operations, as well as a team of mobile engineers. I joined Dawsongroup truck and trailer in October 2024 as the Branch Sales Manager based in Birmingham.
What does your current role involve?
It’s a great role that ultimately boils down to making truck and trailer rental as easy as possible for our customers; ensuring that my team and I are working hard each day to offer the best customer service we can. To do this is all about understanding our customers’ needs, so a big focus for me right now is getting to know our customers and building lasting partnerships with them.
What’s been the highlight of your time with the company?
We have an excellent team here at Birmingham that I’m very proud to be a part of. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the characters we have and their many strengths. It’s been great to see how not just our branch team but our wider team - including my colleagues in head office and other branch sites - pull together to deliver for our customers. It’s also been great familiarising with our very loyal customers alongside meeting new customers – many based on word of mouth and the service we provide.
Who or what has been the main influence in your career?
I’ve had some great bosses over the years who have encouraged me to really aim high when it comes to customer service, and to always think about what I want to achieve from every business decision I make. I also try to think about the kind of service I’d like to receive and how I’d like to be treated, using that as my benchmark.
What changes have you seen in the business during your time at Dawsongroup?
I’ve only been with the company for a relatively short time but in that time, we’ve of course received the exciting news that KKR are acquiring Dawsongroup. It’s great to hear about what this will mean in terms of growth plans, investment, and new technologies.
What do you do in your spare time?
I have a fantastic wife who has been my best friend since we met at school and we have three lovely boys. I try to spend as much time with them as possible. I started running about five years ago and try to do a few runs a week to keep fit. I’ve dragged myself around a few marathon courses since then – not a pretty sight but I made it! We’ve had some very random pets over the years, including a turtle, a ferret and three Cayuga ducks. We’re a bit more mainstream at the moment with our charming cat Jeremy.
Contact Martyn on: (0121) 5597686