Simon Buckmasteris the Technical & Sales Services Manager for James Hardie UK, the world leader in the manufacture of high-performance fibre cement and fibregypsum building solutions. Simon has worked for James Hardie for over 10 years in a number of technical and operational roles, and is currently responsible for the UK Technical, Customer Support and office team. He's looking forward to being part of the Hardie® Plank Challenge to raise awareness around the Hardie® VL Plank range, in collaboration with a number of builders' merchants across the UK. The challenge runs until November this year when the 'fastest fixer' will be announced. In his spare time Simon is a Governor for St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School and enjoys taking part in triathlons across the country. Show Highlights Focus on reducing waste and improving efficiency in construction processes. Reducing waste in production and installation processes. Discussion on the impact of programs like LEED and BREEAM on the materials industry. Shift from cost-focused to sustainability-focused construction practices. Reach of James Hardie in Europe, covering multiple countries. Development of sustainable and long-lasting products Focusing on fiber gypsum Fiber cement cladding products. Development of new products and ensuring they meet regulations. Embrace new technologies and be bold and progressive. Importance of mentorship and continuous learning within the industry. Innovations in sustainable products "The main thing is just to embrace anything new. Don't get too wrapped up in the traditional side of it. We're really big in developing, redesigning and pushing the boundaries. We have a saying here which is to be bold and progressive. And I think that fits really well into the construction industry. The only way for somebody that's new in the industry to develop and grow would be to embrace the new things coming through the systems or new developments within the construction industry." -Simon Buckmaster Get the episode transcript here! Show Resource and Information LinkedIn James Hardie Building Products Hell Is Round the Corner Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to www.gbes.com/join to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast! Copyright © 2024 GBES