Meet The Team- Charlie Kemp, Setting out Engineer

Charlie has been part of the Kemp team for 12 years, and for him, surveying has always been close to home.

With his dad, Scott, as Managing Director, Charlie had grown up around the business. After leaving college and not quite knowing what he wanted to do next, he started helping out as a chainman. What began as lending a hand soon turned into a long-term career, and he’s been part of the team ever since.

Over the years, Charlie has worked his way up and developed his skills on site, becoming a key part of the team, particularly on civils projects where he’s spent the last five years.

When asked what he enjoys most about working at Kemp, Charlie says it’s the people.

“Working as part of a team is the best part, and obviously working with my brother and dad.”

A typical day for Charlie starts early, usually arriving on site around 7:00–7:15am. From there, it’s a case of catching up with contractors and the wider Kemp team before getting stuck into the day’s work. This often includes setting out kerb lines, block-ups for surfacing, drainage, and carrying out any survey work required on site.

Like most surveying roles, no two days are ever quite the same. Charlie usually wraps up around 4:30pm, making sure everything is ready for the following day and progress can continue smoothly.

One of Charlie’s most memorable projects was working on the A30. As part of the team laying sub-base with a paver, he was responsible for ensuring the level tolerance was met throughout the job. Being involved in such a large project in the South West made it a standout experience.

If Charlie hadn’t gone into surveying, he thinks he might have become a primary school teacher, a very different path from early starts and muddy boots.

Outside of work, Charlie is a keen runner, clocking up around 70 miles a week and training for various races, with the marathon being his favourite distance. When he’s not running, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their two daughters, Pippa and Sunnie.

If he could travel anywhere in the world, Charlie would head to Perth in Australia to visit one of his best mates and his family who emigrated there a few years ago, a trip that’s firmly on the wish list.

After more than a decade with Kemp, Charlie has become a familiar face on site and a valued member of the team, helping deliver projects across the South West with the same hands-on approach he started with all those years ago.