Mat Collins

The latest Meet the Team interview caught the brilliant whirlwind of activity that is Mat Collins. 

Mat has been with Ecoglass for close to 13 years across a variety of roles and was promoted to Production Manager in 2022. After chasing him around the factory floor, we finally managed to pin him down for a chat. 

Interviewer: Thank you for taking the time to speak to us today Mat, you’re a very busy man and it feels like quite the accomplishment to have you in one place.  

Mat: A medal is being prepared for your tenacity! 

Interviewer: Talk about your role and the journey to the position of Production Manager 

Mat: I've been working in glass for a long time and started at another company before joining Ecoglass. I've gone from glass cutter to factory manager and now very proudly hold the title of Production Manager; it's a journey I'm genuinely proud of, and one I'm still very much on

Interviewer: For a man who arrives at 5 am and rarely leaves before early evening, talk us through what a typical day looks like. 

Mat: Honestly, I have no idea where the day goes, but it's safe to say I'm all over the factory, ensuring everything from machines to staff and orders is moving through correctly. Keeping every part of the Ecoglass machine, literally and figuratively, moving where it needs to be, at the pace it needs to be and to the right place is what the role is all about. 

The early start is important to me. I want to make sure the production floor is set up, ready and optimised before the team arrives, and that anything urgent is already in motion. It sets the tone for the day, and I think the team feel that. 

Interviewer: Having your eyes and ears in so many places at once, you must know where every nut, bolt and glass order in the factory is at any given moment! 

Mat: Absolutely! I see myself as a bit of a conduit in the factory. I make it my job to know every potential and incoming problem so that, together, we can do everything we need to – not only avoid the iceberg but also work around it and keep the ship on still waters. 

That awareness extends beyond the production line too. Toward the end of 2023 and into early 2024, we went through one of the biggest machinery installations in the company's recent history. I made it my business to be fully across every stage of progress, learning each new process as it was introduced and working closely with the operations team to keep disruption to a minimum. Installations like that are complex, and the preparation beforehand makes all the difference. 

Interviewer: You completed a Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship in October 2024. How has that shaped the way you work? 

Mat: It's helped me to improve my communication and become more empathetic to everyone's challenges. We're all trying to do the best we can in our roles, and once I learned to take a step back and put myself in other people's shoes, I found resolutions quicker and easier because my communication style evolved to meet people where they need me. 

Before the course, communication wasn't always my strongest suit, and I'm the first to admit that. But the apprenticeship gave me the frameworks and the self-awareness to approach things differently. I now run regular team debriefs and make sure everyone has the clarity they need on what we're doing and why. It sounds simple, but it changes everything. 

Interviewer: Tell us about life outside of Ecoglass. What do you get up to? 

Mat: I coach a young men's football team. They're teenagers now, but I've been working with these lads since they were young boys, so I've seen them through multiple highs and lows over the years. The discipline of teamwork and resilience is something we learn from each other every single week, and it's one of my greatest joys to watch these young men realise and live up to their potential. 

It's also a lesson I bring with me every day into work. You can't coach a team from the sidelines and expect results; you have to be in it with them, understand what they need and create the conditions for them to do their best. That's as true on the factory floor as it is on the pitch. 

Interviewer: What a perfect place to end our chat. Thanks for taking the time to speak to us today, Mat. 

Mat: My pleasure and well done for hunting me down!