Maria Mckeown
Maria Mckeown
Programme Manager, Travis Perkins
About Travis Perkins
Travis Perkins is a Northampton head office-based business that services the UK as a builders merchants. We are the largest distributor of building materials in the UK with a branch network of approximately 600 nationally.
We are the parent company of other business brands such as Toolstation, Keyline, BSS, TF Solutions and CCF and have around 20,000 employees across six brands.
The TP & BMX side of our business has its central distribution centre on Brackmills Industrial Estate on Gowerton Road with approximately 400 staff.
Maria’s role and career
I am a programme manager for our Travis Perkins business which is the largest of the brands with services such as HIRE, Benchmarx Kitchens, Managed Services within. My role is the strategic development of transformational change projects heavily linked with our supply chain as an SME.
Previously I spent two years in our distribution centre looking after the support functions and systems (Inventory/Stock Management). I was responsible for changing the structure and bedding in processes to ease the operational efficiencies. I was responsible for introducing CI and championing change and diversity and inclusion across the site to name a few things.
Prior to this role I spent five years in Contract Logistics for what was Kuehne & Nagel as National Inventory Manager - in summary was head of purchasing team, stock management team and had customer and supplier management across multiple sites.
About Brackmills
I love Brackmills, it feels like home. I have been linked to the estate for over 20 years and the sense of community within the forums that were created have really supported my own development. It is one of the best industrial estates in the UK. It is so well looked after and businesses come together when things happen.
Becoming a BID Director
I want to make sure I can support and make a difference to people so I was delighted to be asked to become a director. I want to focus on security and development and ensuring that the colleagues such as warehouse operatives have not a safe place at work and bus services to help them get to work.