We’re celebrating 15 years of James Barrett at Ecospill. From managing our original warehouse to helping establish manufacturing and now looking after our logistics team, James has played an important part in the business’s growth.

We sat down for a cuppa with the king of the office brews himself, James, to hear about his favourite moments, the changes he has seen and what might come next.

What has been your favourite moment so far?

There have been so many favourite moments over the years. From setting up racking and building machines to collecting new vehicles and meeting the people who come through the business, there has always been something different to get involved in.

The warehouse moves really stand out. When I started, we had just 130 pallet spaces. Moving into a 16,000 sq ft warehouse felt like a real “wow” moment. Then, six years later, we moved into 40,000 sq ft with 1,300 pallet spaces. Seeing that growth first-hand has been incredible!

What’s one thing you’ve learned during your time here?

Be open to trying something new. I’ve worked across warehousing, sales, manufacturing and logistics, and each role has given me the opportunity to learn and develop different skills.

As Ecospill has grown, there have always been new challenges to take on and new ways to put those skills to use. You never quite know what’s around the corner, and that keeps things interesting!

What are you most proud of achieving?

There are too many things to pick just one! I’m proud to have played my part in Ecospill’s growth, from our early warehouse days to the business we are today.

Back then, it took plenty of hard work, sometimes well into the evening, to get everything done. Seeing how far we’ve come, and seeing people grow within the company along the way, makes it all worthwhile.

Helping set up manufacturing was another big part of that journey. I was tasked with understanding the processes, finding ways to improve them and making them work under our own roof. That meant building machines, recruiting operatives and running day-to-day production.

It’s been rewarding to get involved in so many different parts of the business and help make things happen.

What was your role in the beginning, and where are you at right now? Can you compare then and now?

I joined as Warehouse Manager when Ecospill was a much smaller operation. I then spent a few years in sales. My strengths were more on the practical side, but I gave it a go and learned plenty before moving into manufacturing.

Today, I look after our own logistics team, keeping our vans on the road and delivering to our customers.

Being here for 15 years doesn’t quite seem real. I’ve watched Ecospill grow from humble beginnings into the business it is today, but the directors have never forgotten where they started or the people who helped them along the way.

Who knows what’s next? As Ecospill continues to grow, I’m sure there will be new challenges to take on.

I’d say “here’s to another 15 years”, but hopefully I’ll be sitting on a beach somewhere by then!