Resolve was founded on the idea that asset management could be done better. Upon seeing the way assets were managed in the hospitality industry, an idea was formed in the minds of Dan and Phil – the idea to do something with a clear conscience that you're actually bringing some more benefits to the world than just turning a dollar.” (Phil Grimes)
Around ten years ago, Dan Robinson was observing the closing down of business in the hospitality sector:
“we see how assets are managed when businesses are closed down, or when people downsize. They're not always managed in the most efficient way to start with” (Phil Grimes)
These assets would mysteriously disappear in the back of a van, potentially to the black market or to landfill. Inefficient removal of assets meant that Dan and Phil knew they could do better.
Dan’s experience in the hospitality industry, through setting up his own bars and restaurants meant that he had the knowledge necessary, through clearance of different businesses, to set up an asset management business that does something ethical with a percentage of their efforts: This was the foundation of Resolve.
There’s an analogy that sticks out in Dan’s mind when asked about the origins of Resolve; the story of a clearance that sparked the feeling of reward and clarity of consciousness:
“Some Burger Kings had closed, and we were tasked with the job of clearing it. The main assets, the kitchen equipment, can have value. If you were just going on a purely financial basis, you would stop there. But they wanted the building shelling out, meaning the walls had to be taken back. We took the marble off carefully, and people used it as kitchen worktops. So that was really good because essentially, I got paid to clear it as waste. I use, rather than use that money on skips, I used that money for labour to transport it too. But the asset then was, we didn't have enough shelving for all the stuff. They said, we'll take it, but we don't have the shelving.
We have no way of storing it. And then in the same place we have, which had a small intrinsic value, was the racking. So I said, well, if you want to take all of that, I’m essentially getting paid to clear that as waste, What I’ll do is take the shelves and put the shelves in for you so , you've got shelving then, to put the stuff on the shelves. And that's where I really thought, well actually these organizations need these assets. […] So the impacts, and I mean, I think for me, just from a purposeful thing. We've had to chase money, not to no avail but there's no satisfaction beyond when you paid your bills.
We've got to get to work. We've got to make it count more. And when you come home there's got to be moments meaningful to me” (Dan Robinson)
This was a moment of realisation: Asset management can be better. It can be ethical, and rather than the pure financial basis of a removal task, Dan realised that tracking a set of assets and using them for ethical means was a way of giving back to the community, rather than selling assets off to an unknown destination. The clarity and knowledge of online auctions and recycling means that not only for Dan and Phil but their community, can benefit from something other than pay: purpose and the improvement of asset management with an ethical angle.
Resolve is driven by the clarity that this process brings, both in a physical and an ethical sense: The assets are put towards something greater so that when a business is closed down, they can give back to the community with those assets; by harnessing this conventionally negative aspect of business and turning it into a positive for the community, Resolve are putting these assets to good use. The online auction transparency means that the assets go straight to the market and market value is achieved.
When asked about the drive behind Resolve, Phil confirms that it is “the desire to do something better”. This drive is something that has never left the minds of Dan and Phil, and in our current climate of isolation, we want to bring people back together in a safe and comfortable manner and help those who are vulnerable: we have created a range of safety measurements applicable to any space to allow the safe return of staff and personnel to a building. These include desk and counter screens, freestanding partitions and access & flow control systems. We have also worked with the incredible Warren kitchen to help provide vulnerable families with food parcels:
“I [knew] that they would be desperate to get food parcels out to the young people. So I wrote to JJ the coordinator there and I said, use my van. […] what they're doing is delivering food parcels to vulnerable families and they’ve expanded, not just young people. last time I spoke to him a few days ago there's like 800 families they have fed so far. you suddenly realise the value of one asset. To me, what is the value of a van that I don't need right now? […] you’ve got to get your head in that, its not just a van. Its the effect these assets can have on people's lives.
(Dan Robinson)
Dan and Phil have a passion for the ethical management of assets, and the ability to give back and do something better. The lockdown has given us the opportunity to do this to the best of our ability, and we are thankful that we can turn our passion into a source of positivity for our community. We have the drive to give back to a community when it needs it the most. We are dedicated to the cause of ethics. We are passion: We are Resolve.
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