Interview: Fred Hood talks about the company’s success at the Electrical Industry Awards 2023
Posted by: electime 21st May 2024
Tell me more about your role at McNally and Thompson
Reporting to the parent company I am responsible for over 75 employees. With a turnover of £18m my main role is in Pre-Construction and business development whilst overseeing both the Estimating and the Operations Department consisting of over 60 site employees’ as well as specialist sub-contractors. It is a busy office with 15 staff and there is never a dull moment, always a challenge but we have a great team that work well together to deliver some outstanding projects.
How has the industry changed since you entered?
Very much so, every document is now electronic which is fantastic for the speed of response, but it also means a lot of people expect more and sooner from you. Years ago, it was so much more time consuming to change designs and respond, the ease at which it is done nowadays can be quite staggering at times. Technology in our industry has also moved on with LED lighting now being the norm and so much more to consider on projects such as EV, Solar PV, ASHP Technology etc.
Lately the new building safety act which again is a huge change in the way we all operate.
How is McNally and Thompson keeping up with these changes?
We constantly review our operations and our training matrix to ensure the workforce is fully up to speed with the industry needs, our technical departments are constantly upskilling with examples such as Solar PV training, EV Training Courses, Building Safety Act CPD’s , Building Services Degree’s Etc. to keep us at the forefront of what we do.
McNally and Thompson won Contractor of the Year at the Electrical Industry Awards in 2023, what do you think set you apart from the other contractors that entered?
We invest heavily in training, currently with 15 apprentices or adult trainees within the business, our track record in training has ensured we have not really experienced a skill shortage whilst we have maintained steady growth in business with a small but long standing client base.
How did it feel to win this award?
To be recognised by our industry peer’s is the ultimate accolade, the whole team feels like it is their award for what they do as “their job” it just means so much to us all that we are doing not only our best but being recognised for it.
What would your advice be for others thinking of entering the awards?
I would encourage anyone who feel’s they are doing something just that little bit different to the norm. to take the time to enter, it is such a good feeling to be recognised for what you do.
What’s next for McNally and Thompson?
Next up for us is to maintain the strong relationships we have already but also to build on them with one or two new customers. There has to be a target set of hitting the £20M turnover mark but not for vanity, it has to be with the right people and profitable.
To enter the 2024 Awards, visit: https://www.electricaltimes.co.uk/electrical-industry-awards/enter-awards/
For a step to step guide on how to enter click here.
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The Awards is sponsored by FS Cables, The IET, Wiska, W&ED, and ET
