The Secret Life of Chelsfield Recycling: Training, Planing and Sustaining
Located in Kent, Chelsfield Recycling is one of four recycling depots within the Aggregates and Asphalt division. Home to the management of road planings, we crush, and screen used materials to process them into high-quality RAP (recycled asphalt product).
The ongoing demand to use higher recycled content in the UK’s roads is what makes this site such an integral part of FM Conway’s self-delivery model. Without it, our circular economy wouldn’t exist.
With that in mind, the Marketing team decided to take a tour around this significant site and meet the great people behind the hard work needed to deliver RAP to our asphalt plants who supply the growing network of FM Conway customers across the South of England.
On arrival, we quickly learned that Chelsfield operates as a central hub of activity and is the largest of our recycling sites – Heathrow, Dartford and Newhaven.
Managed by the jolly duo of Recycling Manager John Tobin, and Site Supervisor Molly Rowe, Chelsfield Recycling stretches across 16 acres of land, in which sits three dome-shaped sheds storing 6mm and 20mm RAP, plus salt needed for gritting our winter roads for TfL. Keeping our materials dry under shelter reduces the need for drying in our asphalt plants, adding to our carbon savings.
With a purpose-built training ground, FM Conway personnel also frequently visit the site for any practical training, making this one of our more popular business locations. There’s even a piece of FM Conway’s heritage kept onsite – an original tractor dating back to 1961 which still works to this day thanks to John’s maintenance and TLC!
As Recycling Manager, John is responsible for maintaining the quality of our materials, overseeing deliveries, routinely liaises with multiple divisions, and describes the site as ‘a continuous revolving door’. His work and commitment are centred around the people and having worked with the late Michael Conway MBE, he demonstrates the original values of the family-owned business.
Whereas, his right-hand woman Molly has an infectious, sunny personality which shines through everything she does in her day-to-day role. Whether it is managing weekly schedules, PAK testing planings, ordering machine parts, meeting and greeting our fleet of aggregate drivers, it’s always done with a smile.
The pair work brilliantly together looking after a team of Engineers, Weighbridge Operatives and Machine Operators, however, their impact doesn’t stop there.
Their work ethic filtrates the site and all goes towards keeping our materials circularity running smoothly, helping our customers to lower their carbon footprint, and ultimately relying less on virgin materials.
It’s clear that both Molly and John are skilled in bringing people together, and with a combined FM Conway experience of 37 years, their infectious energy has certainly ensured that Chelsfield’s positive vibes remain unmatched.
You can capture John and Molly in action in this short Instagram reel
here.
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