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Kevin Taylor
Training and Technical Support Manager
Kevin is a training and technical support manager, specialising in roof tiles and slates. He deals with technical documentation, product development, training, compliance and quality. His involvement in the roofing industry spans over 40 years. He joined his father’s roofing company as an apprentice when he was 16 and earned his City and Guilds qualifications at Leeds College of Building. After nine years of installing roofing, he moved into the office as a contracts manager and estimator. In the 1990s, he began teaching apprentice slating and tiling at Bolton College and then at his old college in Leeds. He later became an NVQ independent consultant and trainer, mainly doing roof reports and technical seminars. Kevin was employed as a technical officer for the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) and was on the British Standards committee whilst there, working on BS 5534, BS 8000 Part 6 and BS 8612. While at the NFRC, he realised that many existing members didn’t know the standards very well. So, he led a project funded by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to train every slating and tiling member in the new standards. While working for the NFRC, he also worked with the National House Building Council (NHBC) on a series of presentations to reduce roof failures. In 2022, Kevin worked with Marley as a consultant on product testing and then decided to join the company full-time. He says a lot is going on at Marley in terms of product and process development. He explains that his career in the roofing industry has been one of natural progression. When he started, he didn’t have any particular interest in roofing: “I left school, looked for a job and started working for my dad’s firm,” he explains. “As a young apprentice, I was allowed to start working on simple roofs quite quickly, and when I got my qualifications at 18, I was given a vehicle and my own jobs. At that age, I had transport and money; I thought it was great!” There’s also the sense of completion, of having created something. He appreciated this as a teenager and still does today. “Start with a bare truss roof, and a few days later, there’s a completed roof that’s still there 40 years later.” Kevin says that he also enjoys teaching and helping people to excel, which is why he likes working at Marley. “I like jobs where I feel I can do some good,” he says. “As a consultant, I was mainly getting involved with disputes every day, which wasn’t ideal. I prefer to educate, write standards and guidance, and do seminars. I like to prevent problems – make sure people stay out of trouble before they get into it.” He also says he’s happy to be working for such a well-established company with a high reputation in the industry: “I’ve known of Marley and worked with representatives at the company since I was 16, and now I’m part of it, and part of a team again.”