Leading Suffolk businessman makes a ‘smart’ move to land major new role
21 January 2019

Leading Suffolk businessman makes a ‘smart’ move to land major new role

Matt Moss, one of Suffolk’s most admired young business people, has been confirmed as the new managing director of SMART, a Thurston-based manufacturer of quality garden rooms, in a move aimed at further strengthening the success of this innovative Suffolk company.

Smart was founded 17 years ago, employing a unique building approach and materials alongside traditional craftsmanship skills, the company has become a market leader in the growing garden rooms and office sector and now boasts six distinctive product lines.

According to the founder of Smart: “Matt has a proven and enviable track record in building up a Suffolk manufacturer from humble beginnings to being a key component of a PLC, as well as being an unrivalled numbers man by training. So it was a no-brainer for me and the board to approve him as the new managing director of Smart.”

SMART Garden Rooms MD

Here we can see:
Back row: Gina Long (founder of Geewizz), Victoria Mott (Lot winner), Sue Phillips (Sales & Marketing Director, SMART).
Front Row: Paul Sheppard (Operation Director, SMART) and Matt Moss (Managing Director – SMART).

Matts Career Path & Success

Having trained as a chartered accountant at Ensors, Matt worked as finance director – before becoming commercial director – of Poundfield Products, a market leader in high quality precast concrete manufacturing.

Under Matt’s guidance, the company won many contracts to supply products to some iconic engineering projects, including the nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C in Somerset, the reconstruction of Whitley Bay seafront in North Tyneside and closer to home, the Ipswich Tidal Barrier.

Matt’s commercial acumen drew the attention of SigmaRoc, an AIM quoted company that invests in and operates new and existing construction operations, who successfully acquire Poundfield last year. Matt subsequently rose to become the expanded business’s group finance director.

Matt explains: “I had such a great time at Poundfield and was proud to build up a team whose emphasis on quality of product, delivery and customer services helped redefine that sector.

“I knew it would take a once-in-a-lifetime offer to convince me to leave. The SMART company provided that offer and there was no way I could refuse. Smart is an innovative and energetic company that both reflects and informs the flexible ways in which thousands of people are choosing to work and relax.”

Matt employs a very democratic style of leadership. “I won’t sit in here as the big boss. This is a team effort. I can’t do my job without the other guys. Communication is key and spending time with them as the people here who know their jobs better than anyone. All I can do is tease out how to make it better!”

Local Suffolk Business

At 35, Matt has also built up a wider reputation across the Suffolk business community. He was the chair of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce in Bury St Edmunds for three years and now sits on the main Suffolk Chamber board.

“I believe that Suffolk has it all: it’s a great place to live and bring up a family and it is home to thousands of diverse and dynamic businesses. As well as growing Smart so that it fully reaches its amazing potential, I hope to continue marketing brand Suffolk to the rest of the country and indeed the world.”