Ken was born above a greengrocer in Coventry in the early sixties. It had been the family business for generations and, whilst the shop kept his parents very busy, it was made doubly so as his father was also a contractor to a photography business – and this is where his Rooost story starts!

The challenge of the dual role that his father had was that the two businesses were separated by one-hundred and fifty miles – Coventry and Boscombe (near Bournemouth) – and in an era without digital technology and the transport systems that we have today.

As a result, as a small boy, he spent many hours travelling between what he affectionately calls his ‘two homes’. Ken recalls these years, “my earliest memories are of the shop, the house and beach and travelling between the two”. Ken continues, “I guess by the age of five or six, I was adept in packing for a road trip. I even had my own small brown suitcase for essential items – toys mainly – but I also used to pack my favourite clothes and swimwear too. After a while, I realised that the latter were of only real use in my home by the coast and so they didn’t travel with me as much as everything else. I also recall that I’d keep important items in a small shoe box that was by my bed. It was the box that was checked for important contents that travelled with me. That way, I never really lost anything. Misplaced – yes. Lost – hardly ever”.

It was a lifestyle that, unwittingly, became a great foundation for his future – the ability to checklist important stuff quickly; keep them safe; transport them; support and adapt to new surroundings swiftly. Ken adds, “to this day, I never make a list of items when I know I’m going to be away from home for a while. I simply reflect for a few minutes on what I do in a day – starting when I get up – and as I go through the day in my head, I make sure everything I need is to hand and it gets packed”. 

After his school years, Ken worked as a project manager in the aerospace industry before a career change found him working as a consultant helping to grow a Belgian wine and spirits business in the UK. Ken reflected on this time, “for about eighteen months, I helped open regional offices – spending long periods of time in Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and London. The hours were long and the commute home was exhausting”. Ken added, “after a couple of years, I decided to rent accommodation in Edinburgh; flat share in London and establish a home in the midlands. It sounds very unnecessary – but, the savings I made in fuel and hotels covered the business accommodation costs and the hours not spent on the road were good for my mental health and well-being. I made some lifelong friends in Scotland; I played five-a-side football for a pub team in London etcetera. In short I was fitter and healthier, engaged with the local communities better; and was more effective during my working hours – a win-win all round”.

After a sabbatical that took him travelling across north Africa and Europe in the mid-90's, Ken developed his career in the media and marketing industry – and that created opportunities in the middle east and across Europe – culminating in him working in sport… American Football – the most indigenous American sport. It was at that time, he had two homes – one in the USA and one in Wales. This time, however, he had a young  family. Ken commented on this time, “The logistics of having a career that took me around the world was made easier by having two homes. However, having children in education in the UK presented its challenges”. Ken spoke of this time, “The decision was taken as a family that the UK was the most suitable base. The work I was undertaking took me to the USA a lot and I endeavoured to wrap trips around school holidays so the children could enjoy the two homes. They are now both in their twenties and when I hear them talking this time, it mirrors my experiences as a youngster – two homes, travel etc. It does make me smile”.

It was Ken that identified the Rooost unique selling point. His experiences are that if a company employs an itinerant contractor/worker for eight hours a day, we care for that individual for sixteen hours a day. We have an important job of giving them the best experience possible, to allow them to perform the best they can for the eight hours they are employed by our client. Ken concluded, “it is our aim to understand the needs of those we accommodate and ensure that they have the best home-from-home experience possible and we have an industry transforming concept digital platform in the pipeline that will support clients, contractors and accommodation providers in this ambition – watch this space”.