Fern works with potential clients within the construction industry, undertaking site suitability assessments and providing guidance on the use of Fortistone IBA Aggregate.

“Prior to joining Fortis, I was working oversees in copper/cobalt mines and was based in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Australia working both open pit and underground. In Congo, I was responsible for production geology activities in three large open pits, this involved scheduling four drill rigs, technical modelling, the safety and management of a large team and ensuring the metal grades that entered the crushers remained at a constant to produce over 100,000t of copper a year.

In February 2020, I joined Fortis because I was looking for a position where I could be based permanently within the UK. Fortis takes our waste and transforms it into a useful secondary aggregate, and after a career in mining, this innovative recycling really interested me. I also liked that the business was small medium-sized and had a friendly atmosphere.

I am not an eco-warrior, but there are so many benefits of using a recycled aggregate instead of primary material and all the fuel, possible blasting, environmental damage and cost associated with extracting raw materials.

The thing I like most about the industry is that I feel like I am doing some good in encouraging further recycling from municipal waste, through both the reuse of metal and the creation of IBA Aggregate.”