The founder and managing director of an East Kilbride-based electrical business has come out top after being awarded the accolade of “best presentation” at the conclusion of a prestigious business development course organised by hub South West.
Steven Maclaren, who started Maclaren Electrical Services in 2006 and which now has annual sales in excess of £1m, impressed the judges with his drive and ambition for the business as well as his determination to always do the right thing for his 21-strong workforce. All of the company’s employees, for example, enjoy private medical insurance cover.
Steven said: “I was delighted to be judged best performer at the hub South West Award Event especially since the overall standard of company presentations by my fellow participants on the programme seemed to me to be very high.”
A public-private partnership funded by Scotland’s business development agencies and a clutch of Tier One contractors including Morisons, Graham, Morgan Sindall and Keir, hub South West’s development programme is aimed at ambitious companies in construction and related sectors based in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.
Hub South West’s sixth Building for Growth programme got under way in March this year and ran over 8 half-day sessions (10-2) over a period of 12 weeks. It concluded at the Award Ceremony on Friday 2 June at 29 Private Members Club in Glasgow; 42 companies based in the south west region have now ‘graduated’ from the programme.
The programme is open to any business looking to grow in a sustainable manner by building the skills and internal capacity to take on increasing volumes of business. A golden rule is ‘no competitors’, leaving participants free to discuss any business issues, challenges and opportunities in a safe and supportive environment with a like-minded group of business people.
Said Steven: “Each representative of the eight companies participating in the programme is required to make a presentation at the conclusion of the course which covers the benefits they have derived from it and the lessons they will take forward to improve the chances of their company winning work from some of the Tier One contractors.
“I told my audience that I had taken lots of knowledge and understanding from the programme whose lessons I believe I can put into practice by helping take our company to win bigger and better contracts. The judges were kind enough to say my presentation was best on the day.”
Michael McBrearty, Chief Executive of hub South West, said: “Our aim is to help generate growth in the local economy through innovative methods of partnership working and procurement which also provide value for money solutions.
“Our Building for Growth programme, has already delivered success to the leaders of its participating companies by both broadening and deepening their grasp of the factors needed to win more new, bigger contracts from the Tier One contractors and we hope and trust that Steven Maclaren and the others participants in our sixth programme will follow in their footsteps.”
