I would not be surprised to learn that as a child, Russell Tomkins preferred his building blocks above all the other toys in his toy box. Construction, it would seem, is in his veins.
Russell is the Managing Director of Comax Developments, a business he set up nine years ago and has been at the helm of since. Specialising in renovations, new builds and commercial work, Comax Developments is one of Essex’s leading construction companies. I speak to Russell just after he has finished having his lunch; he has the air of a man who is used to being busy, a man who is used to getting the job done. I ask him how he came to setting up Comax Developments in the first place:
‘I left school at fifteen,’ he tells me, ‘to join my father’s construction company.’ It is no wonder then that he seems so at home with his trade - with a lifetime defined by projects started and finished, building seems as much a part of his identity as his career. ‘You know what you know’, Russell says sagely, and what Russell knows is construction.
So how does this managing director spend his day? ‘It usually starts with me checking my emails, before then catching up with my project managers.’ Comax Developments deals with projects whose scale varies massively, everything from single properties to developments of twenty flats. Delegation is essential to the way the company functions. ‘I have some great project managers,’ Russell explains. ‘They have all been with me for at least four years, and are all honest, reliable and hard working.’ Or in other words, the sort of second tier management that most large companies dream of.
Recently Comax Developments has been expanding into the renovation sector in response to the increased market, created by the recession and the housing slump, for those wishing to improve what they have now rather than ship out.
‘Like our advert says, “why move?”’
Russell points out, before explaining to me that your dream house could well be the house you are in now just with a few improvements. ‘In just two to three weeks we can have a huge impact,’ he tells me. Compared to the rigmarole of house hunting and then having to pack up all your worldly goods into boxes before shipping them to your new address and having to change all your bills, the idea of taking yourself and the family on holiday for a few weeks and coming back to a new improved version of your old house does sound rather appealing. ‘We offer the complete package,’ Russell explains, before then revealing that he has a hand in choosing the kitchens and bathrooms. You would not perhaps suspect Russell of being the sort with an eye for design, with his straightforward manner and carefully chosen words, but from Comax Development’s portfolio this is obviously the case. You know what they say about the quiet ones and hidden depths.
Having been in the construction game for so long it is clear that Russell Tomkins must enjoy his work. Does he have a favourite bit? He pauses for a second before answering – ‘handing the keys back to the client,’ he reflects.‘There is a sense of satisfaction when you finish a project.’ Seeing things through to the end and enjoying the results seem to be a vital part of Russell’s personality. Even in his hobbies having something to show at the end of it seems to be the driving force. Well, apart from golf: ‘If I could take the rest of the day off, and the sun was out [outside the office window you can see the drizzle spotting against the glass] I would go get myself a game of golf and maybe have a few beers afterwards.’ In some ways, in spite of or perhaps because of his carefully chosen phrasing, Russell is refreshingly open. When he answers a question it is clear the answer is true. He feels no need for false razzamatazz or flowery language to spice up his responses. In his own words, ‘You know what you know’ and above all else it would seem that Russell Tomkins knows his own mind.
