The term ‘global entrepreneur’ may seem a notional one, but Mark Greaves truly fits this description. Mark travels high and low across the globe in his position as Managing Director of Flowcrete Group Ltd.
Since joining the company in 1989, Mark has taken the business from its Cheshire roots and established it as a major global player within the industry, leading to its current position with sales offices in 23 countries and six manufacturing centres, spanning four continents, worldwide.
The measure of his successful bid for global expansion is best reflected in financial terms. Back in 1989, Flowcrete’s turnover stood at £0.5 million – against a figure in 2008 of £44 million. Mark has engineered two large scale international acquisition deals, giving Flowcrete the necessary infrastructure to grow and continue to develop, with the purchase of Swedish-based Perstorp Construction Chemicals in 2002 and South Africa’s Ivory Industrials in 2006.
Mark has also led business deals closer to home, including the acquisition of Isocrete Group Sales in 1995 and Gyvlon one year later. Gyvlon, a pumpable screed product, was bought by Flowcrete for £1. It was sold to Lafarge 6 years later for £1 million.
Mark has personally overseen some of Flowcrete’s largest deals to date, including the awards of more than 500,000 square metres of products at two of the largest airport projects in the world – Chek Lap Kok in Hong Kong and KLIA in Malaysia.
Furthermore, he has married up an entrepreneurial approach with innovation to pioneer new concepts within the flooring industry, including systems capable of fighting MRSA, as well as mechanized techniques of installation which take applicators off their hands and knees.
Mark joined Flowcrete in the 1980s, after four years with Shell International, where he was Business Manager for their UK retail lubricants business – a role in which he doubled profits in three years. He went to Shell from Manchester Business School (MBS). At Manchester, Mark achieved an MBA with Distinction and was the highest performing candidate of his graduating year in 1986. Prior to attending MBS, Mark was a student at Bristol University, where he achieved a degree in English Literature.
Mark decided to take the path with a more local, smaller company than a global name as part of his career plan, to enable him to control and develop the business in a more ‘hands-on’ manner and utilize his entrepreneurial side.
Away from the office Mark enjoys playing rugby, has a black belt in Judo and enjoys reading and playing squash.