Richard has been working in the removals industry since he was young. His father worked for Britannia Leatherbarrows, and when Richard was in his early teens, he asked his dad to get him a summer job there. His dad refused, so Richard took it upon himself to contact the company’s boss on his own. He went to an interview and got a job as a porter without any help at all!
Richard then worked at Leatherbarrows in the school holidays and at weekends. When he left school at 16, he initially wanted a career in the RAF. However, after a year he realised it wasn’t the right role for him, so he came back to removals. When he was 18, he moved to America and tried working as a furniture restorer – but once again, he found it wasn’t right for him and he felt pulled back to the removals industry.
Richard then settled on removals for good and quickly began to gain qualifications. He started with his Class 2 license which was swiftly followed by his Class 1. These courses were both funded by the company and took several months to complete, combining a mixture of practical skills and classroom work. Richard had both licenses under his belt by the time he was 21, and he then focused on European moves. He loved the travel and variety of life on the road.
After a few years in this role, Richard suffered a knee injury whilst playing football in his free time, and he had to be redeployed into the office for several months while he recovered. Initially only meant to be temporary, Richard enjoyed it so much that he set about gaining the qualifications he needed to excel in the new role. This included getting his forklift license and also completing the British Association of Removers Estimator Training Course.
Richard was quickly recognised as a huge asset to the management team, and he was encouraged to take his National O License qualification and then his International Operators License exam. Both involved residential courses and exams, and the International License was particularly challenging. However, Richard passed on his second attempt and was promoted to Head of Operations.
Having mastered pretty much every job role in the removals industry, Richard is now General Manager of Britannia Leatherbarrows aged just 39. He says you need a great work ethic to succeed in this business, and he loves helping customers through the journey of moving home. He’s had some incredible travel experiences, such as enjoying weekends off in glamorous locations like St Tropez. He’s also worked with some lovely customers, including one client who even took the whole crew to an ice hockey game in Switzerland!
Richard believes that if you start early in removals, it really gets into your blood. He thinks the people who make a career in the industry generally stay for the variety, and also because they enjoy working directly with the customers.
Find out more about careers with Britannia Movers and check out our current job vacancies.
