60 second interview: Robert Riccio from Wellsway Contract Flooring

Quick fire questions with Robert Riccio from Wellsway Contract Flooring

Name: Robert Riccio

Age: 41

Company: Wellsway Contract Flooring

Job Title: Director

How did you get into the flooring industry?

Whilst I was still at school, I would work for my uncle’s contract flooring business during the holidays. After leaving school at 16, I carried on working for him and went to college to get my NVQ qualification in Contract Flooring.

What’s been the biggest change in the industry in the past 10 years?

I’d say it has become harder to get good, qualified and reliable floorlayers!

Looking forwards, what do you think will be the biggest change in the next 10 years?

There’s been an increase in the awareness of using specific products for specific areas. Adhesives, especially, are rightly becoming more user-friendly and less harmful to the environment.

What’s the worst job you’ve been on?

I remember a time where I was working on an overnight job in an industrial estate, all alone in Croydon. The radio was broken and I only had one CD to keep me company: Dido. It’s been twenty years and I haven’t been able to listen to her since!

And what’s the best?

Schools are my favourite. There are no distractions in an empty classroom over the holidays.

Do you have go-to-products for certain jobs?

Definitely – I only use F. Ball products because they’re the best by a mile. Styccobond F46 is a particular go-to, or F44 prior to that. The Stopgap 1200 Pro is another reliable product for all of my jobs, as well as the new Styccobond F49 which is a remarkable product.

What do you like best about the job?  

Assessing the client’s requirements and giving them professional help and advice, safe in the knowledge that once the floor has been laid, it will suit their needs for many years to come.

What is your least favourite thing about the job?

The timescale. A lot of the time we’re the last or second-last job to be done on a site, after painting and plastering etc., and sometimes the previous jobs overrun so we’re left to bring it all together before the deadline. It can be stressful at times, but it’s part of the job!