Ben Clear

Managing Director

Ben has spent his whole life on and around building works. For much of his childhood, he lived ‘on site’ as his father Malcolm completed a lifelong ambition restoring a Sussex cottage which became the family home. After finishing school, Ben went away to university and achieved a first-class honours BA degree. Even so, he was never away from the business for very long; he returned home every summer to work as a labourer for CRB. During his four years as CRB Contracts Manager, Ben implemented many new ideas and strategies, with a renewed focus on larger construction projects. As a result, the company’s conversion rate increased from a monthly average of 30 per cent to a monthly average of more than 70 per cent. Ben also introduced a Performance Management System. Ben lives in Seaford with his wife Aimee. He is an active charity fundraiser with the Seaford Round Table. "I grew up seeing and hearing about building work almost every day,” says Ben, "and the business has always been close to my heart. There are two main reasons why I love my job: I get to build buildings that will still be standing when I am long gone, and I get to nurture and develop a team of people who love their work and who make me proud on a daily basis.”

Scott Perry

Contracts Manager

Scott has a degree in Chemistry, a qualification that has stood him in good stead in the building trade. After university, he worked for a national courier service, in which he was promoted to regional manager. During this time, Scott decided to change his career path and went back to college to study to become a plumber. He joined CRB in 2006 as a fully qualified plumber. Scott worked ‘on the tools’ for four years, gaining additional skills and trades, including a qualification in plastering. In 2010, he was promoted to Contracts Manager, and his current duties include all aspects of site and contract supervision, from monitoring contract performance to quantifying and ordering materials. Scott lives in Newhaven with his partner Kerry and their daughter Emily. When not hard at work, Scott’s hobbies include motorcycling, golf and aviation – apparently, he once flew a Boeing 737! Ben says "Of all the people CRB employ, Scott has always felt like the person who sees things most similarly to me. He has a fantastic attention to detail and he takes great pride in his work. I’ve never had to explain to him what I expect in terms of quality and customer service, he already sets his own bar so high. All I hope is that the next time he flies a 737 that it’s nowhere over Sussex.”

Malcolm Clear

Consultant

Malcolm has spent almost his entire adult life in the construction industry. He now offers support and advice to CRB, bringing to bear his many years of experience; after all, there are few building-related conundrums Malcolm didn’t face in his thirty-plus years as Managing Director. A very handy golfer, Malcolm is the Scratch Captain for the East Sussex National Golf Team and continues to compete at county level for Sussex. When Malcolm stepped down from his full-time position in CRB, he and a friend started a charity, building community centres in Africa. You can find out more about Malcolm’s charity ‘A New Beginning, Rwanda’ here. "I’m not embarrassed to admit that I often lean on Malcolm’s experience,” reflects Ben, "He was the man who created CRB, of course, and he’s kept busy since taking semi-retirement. I’m very proud of what he achieved with his charity work. Perhaps it was inevitable that he found another outlet to keep him building; nowadays, it’s community centres in Africa rather than in Sussex!”

Jo Sidaway

Office Manager

Jo is an experienced administrator. She worked for an insurance broker, a financial advisor and an architect prior to joining CRB. Jo moved back to Sussex, where she had spent her childhood, in 2006 and joined the business as a secretary. She has expanded her duties over time and now takes care of general admin, bookkeeping and payroll. Jo also oversees the creation of monthly management accounts. Jo has two grown-up children, and lives in Bexhill with her husband John. She enjoys walking, gardening, and "getting some peace and quiet when John plays golf!” "Jo is the person most likely to pick up the phone when you ring CRB,” says Ben, "She is currently the only woman in the company, and she gets on well with everyone. Jo is very loyal to CRB; she is reliable, hardworking and always fun to work alongside.”

Site Personnel

Some of CRB’s staff outside a hotel refurbishment project. Standing from left to right, Gordon White, Malcolm Clear, Jim Atkinson, Ben Clear, John Morris, Jo Sidaway, Graham Thackray, Scott Perry, Kevin Curran; Kneeling from left to right, Shaun Harrison, Jay Coleiro, Jamie Cook and Ben Trewin