INTERVIEW RICHARD SHAW OF GREENBROOK
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED…
2012 PROMISES TO BE A BIG YEAR FOR THE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING SECTOR, WITH THE LONDON OLYMPICS PROVIDING A STAGE FOR THE INDUSTRY’S BEST WORK AND THE EVER INCREASING DEMAND FOR SUSTAINABILITY. RUSSELL DRURY ASKS RICHARD SHAW OF GREENBROOK FOR HIS ASSESSMENT.
How do you view the electrical contracting industry at the moment? Is this a trick question? With government borrowing at £11.8 billion in February and net UK debt totalling £879 billion, unemployment at 2.5 million, and inflation double the Bank of England forecast, UK plc is in a big mess - and it goes without saying that this is not going to help our industry now or in the future.
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However, notwithstanding all the above, I am an optimist and I still think that the outlook for our industry is paved with many opportunities for those who are brave enough to stick around and invest in it. I did expect that this recession would have had a much bigger impact in driving change in the industry than it actually seems to have done and most companies seem to have been
downsizing rather than focusing on the future, as is always the case in times of downturn. The UK has been terribly slow at embracing new technology and new ideas and I believe this has contributed to the protracted downturn over the past three years.
Our strategy at GreenBrook was to do the opposite. Instead of reducing the size of our business we have invested
in new skills, new technology and new products during the past three years, and I can honestly say that I am glad we did because our performance has improved significantly as a result of our actions. Smaller companies like us can act much quicker than our larger counterparts and it is this agility and willingness to accept change that sets us apart.
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