Steve Adams

NEBOSH-qualified health, safety and operations professional with extensive leadership experience across high-footfall retail, food, production and public-facing environments. Proven record of designing and embedding health and safety programmes, risk assessments, safe working procedures, equipment maintenance controls, staff training and continuous improvement. Confident operating independently at shop-floor and management level, challenging unsafe practices, communicating practical standards and translating legislation into workable procedures.

Former UK Fire Service Firefighter and Training Sub-Officer, bringing calm judgement, dynamic risk assessment and safety-critical decision-making.

General Manager at BATA Ltd (2023-01 – Present)

Full operational responsibility for a country store, garden centre and coffee shop, combining day-to-day shop-floor leadership with systems, compliance, commercial and people management responsibilities.

• Lead Health & Safety standards, workplace procedures, staff briefings, risk controls and incident reporting across a complex public-facing site with retail, plant, warehouse, yard and food-service activity.
• Review and escalate operational risks, recommend proportionate corrective actions and work with senior stakeholders to improve safe working arrangements and site standards.
• Maintain visible shop-floor leadership while managing policies, records, staffing, training, maintenance priorities and operational performance at systems level.
• Support equipment, layout and operational changes by considering customer flow, employee safety, safe access, maintenance needs and practical implementation.
• Increased sales by £150,000 over two years through strategic product selection, merchandising and customer-focused initiatives while maintaining cost control and strong commercial discipline.
• Recruit, coach and develop managers and employees, encouraging clear communication, individual accountability and a culture of continuous improvement.

General Manager at Langlands Garden Centre (2020-01 – 2023-12)

Managed end-to-end operations at a flagship garden centre with more than 100 employees, eight direct reports and a broad mix of retail, plant, warehousing and customer-facing activity.

• Updated and maintained Health & Safety practices and delivered training to managers, team leaders and employees to support consistent workplace standards.
• Developed and implemented store procedures in collaboration with the Operations Director, balancing legislative compliance with practical operational requirements.
• Monitored performance and standards through regular shop-floor engagement, coaching managers and addressing non-compliance or operational weaknesses promptly.
• Introduced a structured training and development programme for managers, team leaders and employees seeking progression.
• Implemented continuous-improvement initiatives across centre layout, customer flow, merchandising, stock control and operating efficiency.

General Manager at Homeleigh Crediton Garden Centre (2017-01 – 2020-12)

Appointed to develop a newly acquired nursery into a safe, compliant and commercially successful garden centre, leading site change, planning, procedures and operational development.

• Designed and implemented a comprehensive Health & Safety programme, including safe working procedures, full risk assessments and a safety-equipment maintenance system.
• Managed the risks associated with site development, changing working practices and the transition from a traditional nursery to a modern retail operation.
• Worked through the local-authority planning process and coordinated operational changes despite significant stakeholder opposition.
• Established new suppliers, improved commercial controls and built the operational systems required to turn the site into a profitable garden centre.

Garden Centre Section Manager / Store Manager at Horkans Garden Centres (2006-01 – 2017-12)

Progressed into store management and became a trusted multi-site troubleshooter, leading teams of up to 48 people and improving standards across underperforming locations.

• Formulated and implemented Health & Safety policies and operating procedures to reduce risk and support consistent standards.
• Led recruitment, training, performance management, rotas and disciplinary processes while maintaining clear operational accountability.
• Improved procedures, stock management and centre performance, increasing takings by an average of 30% across three underperforming centres.
• Promoted from Section Manager to Store Manager after consistently exceeding operational and commercial performance measures.

Firefighter / Training Sub-Officer at UK Fire Service

Emergency response, dynamic risk assessment, incident control, operational discipline, training delivery and safety-critical decision-making.

• 17 years of service

Production & HR Manager at Self-employed partnership

Production operations, people management, workplace procedures, training and day-to-day operational control.

Fresh Department Line Manager at Tesco Stores PLC

Fast-paced FMCG leadership, food-handling standards, stock control, team supervision and compliance.

Lead Night Manager at Morrisons Stores

Night operations, employee supervision, safe replenishment activity and maintaining standards during low-supervision hours.

MBA in Business Management, Leadership & Sustainability

BA in Personnel Management

BSc (Hons) in Biology / General Science