My First Job
James Norvill is managing director of GD Environmental, a complete waste management company providing skip hire, hazardous waste disposal and recycling services across Wales. James joined the family business in 2001, aged just 21, but before this had a variety of jobs, so extensive there wasn’t room to include them all here!
“I suppose you could say my entrepreneurial streak started early. My first ‘job’ came aged 9, when I took cartons of juice to school to trade with other children for computer games. My mum was so worried I might be diabetic she took me to the doctor!
“After a few years I started working for neighbours on jobs like lawn-mowing and washing cars. I became so busy that I had to pay three other children to help out when demand increased.
“When I was ten I made a pact with my parents that any money I’d earned they would match so I could buy my own car. By the age of 17 I’d earned enough to buy a BMW which I don’t think my parents were too happy about!
“I moved to London at 18 where I became an estate agent. It was pretty hard, but I learnt a lot about the property market. When I moved back to Newport I sold the BMW and used the money to buy a series of properties. By 21 I owned around 20 residential houses and now I own several commercial properties”
“After a pretty varied working life I decided to settle down and invest the money I’d made from property in my family business, Gwent Drain Services. After a merger with another company in 2003 GD Environmental was created.
“I think my early money-making schemes have definitely affected the work I do now. This year I was awarded Welsh Entrepreneur of the Year by the British Chambers of Commerce – I think it was all down to trading those first juice cartons! My ‘have a go’ attitude is something I have taken to the business. With GD Environmental we often take on jobs that other companies won’t touch. We also see a lot of customers return to us for other jobs, I think it’s a reflection of our open approach – when we say we’ll turn up for a job we will.
“My most satisfying job has been seeing the company grow, from a small business with a £570,000 turnover to a predicted £2.4m in 2006. That doesn’t mean I’ll be sticking to one thing quite yet. As well as GD Environmental, I have my own property development business, and I’m looking to move the GD brand into other areas. If my working past is anything to go by, who knows what the future holds!”
