Yorkshire born and bred, Adrian Witty joined Portable Offices as managing director, eight years ago. Since then he has seen the company go from strength to strength and believes his passion for the industry and the products has been the single most important ingredient to his success in navigating the company through the stormy waters of the recent economic recession.
He said: ?When I joined Portable Offices it had great potential and deserved better positioning and a recognisable brand.? The first step was to develop a business plan and a strategy and to instil some core values that would work across the whole of the business.
?However, what the business did have, in bucket loads, was a strong platform of technology which meant that it was already one step ahead in the web-based sales arena which has become an integral part of marketing within the industry.
Family owned, it also had traditional values which are well recognised and respected on an industry wide scale.?
?We also needed to address the issue of quality standards, which aren?t just something we pay lip service to they are a fundamental cornerstone of our operation and are vital to the health and welfare of our workforce and the safety of our customers.
?With safecontractor accreditation secured and international standards now in place, the company is one of the most credible privately owned operations in the marketplace and a rapidly expanding customer-base recognises that when they involve Portable Offices in their contract they aren?t just buying or hiring a portable or modular building, they are accessing a wealth of experience, skills base and expertise that they can access to benefit the contract.?
Good business ethics are important to us at Portable Offices and are an integral part of the company ethos. He said:
?Having a positive impact on communities near and far is at the heart of our values. We?re friendly to our customers and we treat our staff well. Customers care about where they spend their money. They expect businesses to be responsible and ethical, but we don?t just do it for those reasons, we genuinely believe it?s important to give something back when you can.?
So how did Adrian?s passion for cabins develop?
?I started my career in one of the largest family owned plant hire businesses in Yorkshire and cabins formed a key part of the plant hire fleet. The opportunity to specialise in cabins and modular buildings took me across into West Yorkshire and the opportunity to again work for a family owned business at Portable Offices was an opportunity not to be missed.?
This past 12 months has seen a time of unprecedented strategic growth for Portable Offices, in the light of this we asked Adrian:
What’s the best work-related thing you did recently?
He answered: ?Expanding both the internal and external sales force against the current industry trend.?
Adrian?s top tips for business success
?Have a clear idea of what makes your business unique ? what is your USP??
?Be prepared to react to customer feedback ? don’t be stubborn.?
?Have a vision of where you want to take the business.?
At home in Leeds, Adrian has a wife, Kath, to whom he has been married for over 30 years. He also has two sons, one living abroad in Sydney, Australia. As a strong advocate of family values, he recognises that the best advice he ever received was: ?Don?t miss your children growing up.? One of the proudest times of his life was playing competitive football with both of his sons ? Adrian carried on playing the game right into his fifties!
He doesn?t get much time for hobbies these days, but loves to travel abroad with his wife. He recently visited Canada and Croatia and admits that Barbados is his favourite destination. Next year he is planning a trip to Australia to visit his son and to see some more far flung exotic places.
We asked Adrian a few personal questions:
What would you take with you to a desert island? (excluding loved ones, family, pets etc)
His answer:? ?Ray Mears? (this demonstrated a practical sense of self-preservation to us, along with a witty repartee!)
What characteristic do you most dislike in others?
?Dishonesty.?
How would you like to be remembered?
?As someone who made a difference in people?s lives.?
Adrian concluded: ?I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Portable Offices? staff for their continued support and commitment and for their growing passion in modular and portable buildings.
And, finally, a big thank-you to all of our customers for allowing us to become involved in their building aspirations and projects, whether they are large or small, temporary or permanent. I hope we continue to exceed their expectations.?
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.?
