It is with bittersweet feelings that we announce the retirement of the one and only Sam Glover, Stancold’s Project Service Manager. Sam has spent four decades in the industry and a whopping twenty-eight years at Stancold, moving through multiple roles.
As Sam’s time at Stancold and in the cold store construction industry comes to an end, we sat down with him to discuss his career and reflections from all the projects he’s worked on over the years.
His retirement marks the end of an era, but Sam’s influence runs deeper than dates and job titles. In this interview, he reflects on the projects, people, and career journey that defined his time at Stancold. Plus, we’ve interspersed some thoughts from his colleagues.
Q: How did your career in cold store construction get started?
Sam: It goes all the way back to 1985. I’d just wrapped up an apprenticeship as a car mechanic and wasn’t quite sure what was next.
My sister worked for an insurance broker who dealt with a company that would later become part of Stancold. They needed installers, and she thought I should give it a shot.
I started on the tools and never looked back. I’ve been in the same industry ever since.
Q: Did you ever take a break from working on UK cold store projects?
Sam: I spent a few years abroad, from 1991 to 1994, travelling around the Pacific, but I still completed work in the industry during those years. I worked for a cold store construction company in New Zealand while I was there.
It was a bit of an adjustment because the walls come together differently when you build a New Zealand cold store. The ceiling and wall panels meet at more of a slant rather than fitting in at a right angle. It was interesting to see how things are done on the other side of the world.
I met my wife, who is also from the UK, while I was travelling and we decided to move back to the UK to start a family. When I got back to the Bristol area, I was happy to rejoin the industry and resume my cold store construction career in the UK.
Q: When you started in 1985, did you ever consider you’d be in the industry until your retirement?
Sam: I didn’t have a long-term plan when I started, I just wanted to try something new.
As I got more experience over time, my knowledge started to build, and the challenge associated with every new project was always intriguing.
In some ways, every project is different, but in other ways they are always the same. That balance between familiarity and fresh challenges kept me engaged all the way through.
Q: What’s different about Stancold now versus when you started?
Sam: Well to put it bluntly, things were done a bit more simply back then. Everything was a bit more manual, drawings were done by hand and we didn’t have the digital tools we do now. As the technology evolved, so did Stancold.
It also seems that as time went on, we were able to take on bigger and more technical projects. That can be linked to technological advancements, our capabilities got stronger as project software got more advanced and we were able to work on more complicated fit-out projects.
Most importantly, I’ve seen Stancold branch out into new sectors, like pharmaceutical cleanrooms and industrial partitions. We’re always looking at ways we can apply our expertise and capabilities to other industries.
Q: In your time at Stancold, how has the wider industry evolved?
Sam: One of the biggest changes has been the increase in health and safety standards, especially around hygiene in food and drink production.
Regulations have become much stricter over the years, which is a good thing, and that’s influenced how we plan and deliver projects. Often, producers need to segment certain areas of a factory for food safety reasons.
Very much like our company, the technology also evolved for food and drink producers. It seems every time I’m at a new site nowadays, there is a new piece of machinery that makes their production process more efficient.
In the old days, when you were planning a project in a factory, it was people you had to plan around, now, more often than not, it’s pieces of machinery you have to work around.
Some sectors of food and drink production are more subject to this trend than others. For example, when you’re completing project at a butchery site, no matter the size of the facility, you’re still going to be working around a lot of people rather than machinery. It just depends on the process the product requires. Either way, our team can always manage ways to work around a client’s processes.
Q: How has your specific role evolved over the years?
Sam: Over twenty-eight years, my title has changed a few times as I took on more responsibility and my career progressed.
In the beginning, I was an Installer, but as I started to get more experience working directly with clients and my expertise grew, I became a Project Manager in 2001. The transition was a pretty seamless one as I felt ready for the responsibility. It was a natural next step.
A few years ago, my role changed to Project Service Manager. This is a combination of project management and sales. It seemed a bit daunting from the start, but the role stemmed from the relationship I’d built with many repeat clients. If I was the one repeatedly managing projects on their sites, why couldn’t I be part the one involved from the outset?
The way my schedule pans out and my time management have both changed, but this recent role has been a rewarding way to finish my career.
Q: What would you say sets Stancold apart from the rest of the industry?
Sam: It comes down to how we work with our food and drink producing clients.
We’re interested in being there for UK food producers for every step of their journey. That’s part of where my transition to Project Service Manager came from. The clients that we would go back to do work for time and time again got to know me very well because I’d be the one coordinating the project.
I’ve worked with some clients for years, helping them with everything from minor upgrades to major expansions.
That continuity is something you don’t see as often anymore.
Q: Which jobs best reflect the kind of work you’ve enjoyed doing?
Sam: There’ve been plenty over the years. Three decades of work give you a lot to look back on.
But if I had to pick one, the work we’ve done with Hunt’s Food Group really stands out.
The series of projects we’ve completed for them over the years shows the scope of what our team can accomplish for our clients. Sometimes its quick remedial works, sometimes its larger more comprehensive fit-out projects.
It’s a great example of how we grow with our clients and support them at every stage.
Q: What were some of the more challenging projects you worked on over the years?
Sam: Challenges arise when there are special considerations to be factored in during the planning of a project. It’s never about whether we can do the job, but how we can do it in a way that’s efficient for us and causes the least disruption for them. If they have to completely shut down production for an installation to be completed, that’s never ideal, so we always look for ways to work around their schedule and setup.
We pride ourselves on being able to work in live production environments. It’s a challenge we want to take on because that means our clients can continue their operations as our team fits out an extension or a new partitioning system.
Increasingly over the years, we see food and drink facilities that run twenty-four hours a day, so that means out-of-hours work won’t be the solution. This is where intricate, sophisticated project planning comes into play. It’s about understanding the client’s specific processes and working with them to find a way to achieve the project’s goals with as little disruption to their production and distribution as possible.
Q: What, if anything, will you miss about Stancold?
Sam: Definitely the people. I’ve worked alongside some of them for over 25 years. That kind of connection doesn’t come around often.
I’ll also miss the regular contact with clients. When you’ve worked with the same people on multiple projects, you build a real rapport.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about retirement?
I’m calling it retirement, but I’ll still be working. I’ll be focusing on house projects, taking older properties and giving them a new lease on life.
It’s something I’ve always enjoyed, and now I’ll have the time to do it properly.
It will definitely be a transition to work for myself rather than working for a larger company. I’ll have much more free time for things like golf and spending time with my family, especially my young granddaughter.
After multiple decades, Sam Glover leaves behind more than just a job well done. He leaves a legacy of strong relationships and steady, consistent leadership that will continue to guide us.
Join us in wishing Sam the absolute best for this new chapter!
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If you’re looking to fit out a new food production site or reconfigure or expand an existing one, feel free to get in touch with the Stancold Food Projects team:
0117 316 7000
