NEWS
Leading together – From left , Scott Ayre , Ian Andrews and David King , of Midas Cladding .
Growing stronger together
New leaders who emerged ‘ organically ’ through the pandemic have the Midas touch
WORDS : SARAH WALKER PICTURE : TOM BANKS
A
strong senior management team is now at the helm at Midas Cladding , having enabled the Teesside construction specialist to not only survive but thrive during and following the pandemic .
Midas Cladding is going from strength to strength under general manager Scott Ayre , operations manager Ian Andrews and commercial manager David King .
The trio already had a wealth of experience at the firm , which has a history dating back to 1994 .
Previously , they worked independently of one another , overseeing high-pressure and sometimes conflicting elements of the business , such as health and safety issues ( Scott ), the manpower needed for different jobs and clients ( Ian ) and the commercial and cash flow situation ( David ).
This has enabled the three men , under the stewardship of managing director Martin Gilbey , who grew this top senior management talent from within , to take a strategic approach to growing the company from a £ 3m to a £ 6m turnover business .
“ The three of us are hoping to take Midas up to the next stage in the life of the business ,” says Scott , as he explains how the three senior managers now have a full strategic overview of how Midas operates day to day and month to month .
This enables the business to always be a few months ahead of the game , making it more efficient , with potential shortages in manpower recognised before they become a problem .
It also enables Midas to capitalise on potentially profitable opportunities , as well as to predict and respond to everchanging market conditions and material shortages .
Scott explains : “ Having us three as senior managers is something which has grown organically , as we all had our previous senior roles in the business that we treated as separate entities , rather than three key components of the same business .
“ Martin didn ’ t set out to put this senior management team in place – it just felt right for the business that we all came together and it ’ s now working really well .”
When Covid hit and the UK went into lockdown , Midas ’ contracts with two key clients meant a large proportion of the workforce continued as key workers .
The firm continued to operate safely and successfully through Covid and has experienced significant growth since .
Construction later boomed , and the fact that large commercial and industrial spaces were vacant due to staff being on furlough meant it was a good time for some to invest in upgrading their premises .
The growth of the company is a testament to the way the three senior managers began to work together to solve problems as they arose .
Their success in their roles has also meant others have been given the opportunity to develop their own careers and roles , with a health and safety officer now working under Scott to progress into health and safety management and several contract managers working alongside Ian to ensure the needs of all clients big and small can be met .
In October 2021 , the company employed a trainee estimator , who is thriving under David ’ s commercial leadership .
“ Together , we look at every job from a business perspective and what is best for the company ,” Scott says .
David adds : “ We have employed six people in the past month , so that gives you an idea of the type of growth we are experiencing .
“ We also opened a new office in Peterlee in July 2021 , as we wanted to try to grow the business by taking a step out of the Teesside area , which has allowed us to have more of a national presence .”
So while the firm will always have its roots on Teesside , it is now a key national player in the industrial sheeting and cladding market , with Scott , David and Ian leading the way .
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