Born in the small town of Wirksworth in Derbyshire, Phil Nightingale lives approximately 12 miles away in the even smaller village (if that’s possible!) of Denby, with his wife, Clare, and their three young children. His career with F. Ball has spanned 13 years, but how did he get to where he is today?
“When I left school aged 16, my dad told me I needed to make a contribution to the household, which meant getting a job! I found an advertisement in the local newspaper for an apprentice floor layer, which sounded like a bit of fun. My employer later enrolled me onto a course at Salford City College, where I gained my GNVQ and lots of practical experience.
“After that, I worked for Slater’s Carpets for 6 years and a few other contract flooring companies while attending night school. Once I achieved my HND in Business and Marketing, I sent my CV to F. Ball and was given a job in the technical service department for 18 months before becoming the East Midlands technical representative in 2008.”
As a technical representative, Phil gives daily advice to F. Ball customers via phone calls, emails, and site visits. “It varies hugely day-to-day; this morning, for example, I’ve spoken to about five or six customers so far.” (It was only 9:30 when the interview began!) “There’s always something happening”, he continues. “I like meeting new people and, this may sound cringey, but I genuinely enjoy helping customers out!”
That’s the spirit! But is there anything that Phil finds difficult about the job?
“Keeping yourself constantly educated can be a challenge, especially with the rate at which subfloors are changing and developing. The rise in popularity for underfloor heating, for example, has resulted in having to know a lot about calcium sulphate screeds, which work particularly well because of how thinly they can be applied. That being said, there’s nothing to worry about with F. Ball: we have a great technical team with a huge network of knowledge between us.”
With such technical knowledge, we wonder whether Phil always knew he wanted to work in the flooring industry. “Like every young boy, I once had a dream of playing football professionally but I never reached that level. I did, however, play for Wirksworth Town from the age of 17 to 31, during which time we won the Midlands Regional Alliance Division One Championship 2003-04 after only losing one game. Those are the memories I look back on most fondly.”
And does he still play today? “Oh no! Nothing is worth that pain on a Monday morning!”