30 | Aycliffe Today Business
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 31
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Coffee
BREAK
2.
WE TAKE A BREAK AND SIT DOWN WITH A DIFFERENT
EMPLOYEE OR BUSINESS OWNER TO ASK THEM 20 QUESTIONS
ABOUT A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS...
This issue, we sit down with Finley Structures joint managing director
and the man behind ROF 59, John Finley...
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What do you do?
Joint MD of Finley Structures, joint
MD of SCH Site Services, sole owner
of Finley Leisure (otherwise known
as ROF59) and also MD of a property
company.
Who have you worked
for in the past?
I have had my own businesses for the
last 35 years, but when I left school
I worked for Boots the chemist for
about three months. Then I worked in
a small bakery in Esh Winning, Paton’s
and Baldwin’s of Darlington operating a
spinning machine. Phillips of Belmount
making TV screens, Eve Construction
working on the electricity pylons and
when my daughter was born I got a
job labouring closer to home. Following
this I was with Indescone of Darlington
as a steel erector, then Allerton
Industries, again steel erecting, but
was made redundant and it was then
back in 1981 when I started a company
called AA Steel Erection, which I sold
to Severfield Reeve (as it was known
then, now known as Severfield Rowan
PLC) and part of the deal was that
I stayed with them for three years.
Following this I started back up in steel
erection.
What was the best part of your job?
The best part of my job at this
moment in time is being in ROF 59,
seeing children playing and enjoying
themselves, I love to see children
laughing.
Was there anything about your job
that you really didn’t like?
A huge frustration is putting actions/
improvements in place and people not
maintaining them.
20.
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Favourite thing about working on
Aycliffe Business Park?
We have been on the business park
since 2002, lots of empty factories,
overgrown grass, fly tipping etcetera,
and I have watched it grow into a
prosperous business park. However,
I still believe there is room for
improvement.
Which company/individual on the
park do you do the most work with?
We do the most work with Mantis
Media. Martin Walker looks after three
of our businesses. We also use Stiller
Warehousing and Distribution a lot for
our transport.
Who’s your tip for future success?
Premo Fabrications would be my tip;
they are growing and expanding fast.
Four famous people you’d love to
have round for dinner and why?
Guy Martin, he does world class road
racing breaking world speed records
and stunt man. Freddie Mercury, I
always loved Queen and he was a
brilliant and talented individual. Then
The Two Ronnies, what can I say,
fantastic comedians.
If you could do something else in
business, what would it be?
I am doing it now. I have been in
construction for 40 years so I fancied
a change and started ROF 59. I have
always wanted a restaurant or bar and
now I have both.
10. Who’s your favourite Tweeter?
Is this question referring to a black
bird? I don’t do Twitter, I’m afraid.
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Have you ever done anything really
daring?
Well I did sidecar racing and
scrambling in my younger days, also
as a steel erector walking on the
top section of a steel beam up to 20
metres.
What’s the best piece of business
advice you’ve been given?
Never give in.
If money was no obje