68


TOOLKIT


PUTTING TOGETHER A SCALE MODEL


Kenny Worth and his team are on a mission. They are working to build a leading mid- market company servicing aerospace and defence industries.


Rob Binns Continued from Page 67


He is also a director of FYC For Your Curls; a haircare range manufactured in Lancashire and sold across the UK and Europe and he has a strong track record in leading successful ventures across the technology, leisure, and property sectors.


He says: “Scaling a business is a lot like boiling water. It happens in distinct phases, and each one demands a different type of energy, focus, and patience.


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“First there is the ‘Early Heat’ and gaining traction. This is where everything feels busy and fast-moving. Just like water heating from cold, every bit of effort makes a noticeable difference.


“You’re chasing opportunities, winning early customers, proving your concept and building momentum. It’s noisy, energised and reactive and that’s exactly what it should be. This phase is about creating enough heat to move the business forward.”


He describes the second phase as ‘The Latent Heat Plateau’ as businesses look to build the foundations. This, he adds, is the stage that “trips most people up.”


“The temperature stops rising or at least it looks that way even though you’re putting in just as much effort. This is your systems and structure phase.”


Behind the scenes businesses are hiring the right people, refining processes, and strengthening their cashflow. They’re also spotting the actions that create value and removing the ones that drain it while putting governance, tools and infrastructure in place.


Rob says: “It can feel frustrating because growth looks flat from the outside. But just like latent heat in boiling water, all the energy here is going into transformation, not visibility. This quiet phase is what makes real scale possible.”


Finally comes ‘the boil’ as businesses scale with force. He says; “Once the foundations are solid, everything changes. Effort turns into expansion. Opportunities multiply. The business moves from reacting to building strategically.”


It is the moment when growth accelerates, teams operate smoothly, businesses can push hard without breaking things.


Rob adds: “This phase is the payoff for the hidden work you did when progress seemed slow. Scaling isn’t about constant acceleration; it’s about applying the right kind of energy at the right time.”


It is a growth journey being taken at pace and has seen Brookhouse Aerospace invest in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Darwen and install what he describes as “significant new machining capabilities”.


At the end of 2025 the business also acquired the West Midlands engineering company Parker Precision.


Brookhouse executive chairman Kenny says: “The expanded organisation will allow Brookhouse to offer its customers a much broader product and service offering and will add considerable value as we look to grow even further. In this regard we continue to evaluate, and are actively seeking, suitable additional opportunities.


“Our objective is to double turnover to £50m within the next three years. Growth at this level would be difficult to achieve through organic


Expert View AVOIDING GROWING PAINS


By Sue Smith, Professor of entrepreneurship, University of Lancashire


What is business growth and scaling- up and what does it mean for you? Is it geographic expansion, new product lines, institutional contracts, strategic partnership, entering new markets?


Scaling-up your Lancashire business is both a significant opportunity and a strategic challenge. For owner-managers, scaling can mean increased profitability, greater resilience to economic shocks, and the ability to create higher-quality jobs locally. The opportunities are compelling.


Lancashire benefits from a strong industrial heritage, a diverse SME base, and growing strengths in advanced manufacturing, professional services, digital, health, and creative sectors.


The region’s universities and colleges provide access to skilled graduates, applied research and innovation support and are part of Lancashire’s innovation eco-system. For SMEs, this creates opportunities to improve productivity, adopt new technologies, and develop higher-value products and services without relocating.


However, scaling-up is rarely straightforward. One of the most common


challenges is capacity. Systems, processes and teams which worked well when a business was smaller can quickly become a constraint with business growth.


Owner-managers often find themselves stretched between day-to-day operational pressures and the strategic thinking required for growth. The journey demands strategic leadership and, perhaps, a different style than many owner-managers are used to.


This means adapting your own role, moving from “doing everything” to building and leading management teams, depending on the size of your business.


Access to finance also remains a barrier for some firms. Scaling often requires investment ahead of growth, whether in equipment, digital systems, premises or people, at a time when economic uncertainty can make decision-making feel riskier.


Successful scaleups in Lancashire tend to share common features: clear strategic focus, willingness to seek external advice and strong local networks. Scaling-up is not about growing at all costs but about growing well; building a business that is productive, resilient and rooted in the regional economy.


growth alone, whereas acquisitions offer Brookhouse the opportunity to scale at pace.


“In a fragmented sector such as aerospace, we are well-positioned to take advantage of consolidation opportunities. As the group expands, we also anticipate additional organic growth to result from this strategy.”


Brookhouse’s can trace its history back more than 70 years and today employs more than 200 people with an annual turnover of £25m.


Its growth aspirations are centred on a drive to make sure the company is ready to meet increased customer demand in the future. Kenny says: “Aircraft build rates are set to double within the next 20 years and it’s important that we remain an attractive organisation for the larger Tier 1s and OEMs to do business with.”


Addison Engineering is another company with growth on its mind. Established in 1997 and headquartered at the Hillhouse Business Park in Thornton Cleveleys, the group provides


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