20 | Tees Business
WORDS: M I CHAEL M CGEARY
PICTURE S: CHRI S BOOTH
Leader – Bill Scott has built a small
business empire that includes Wilton
Engineering, Universal Coatings and
Port Clarence Logistics, all based in the
shadow of the Transporter Bridge.
T
eesside engineering supremo Bill Scott
is the very personification of positivity.
Born in a terraced house in Portman
Street, central Middlesbrough, and brought
up on the border between Whinney Banks
and Acklam, Bill began his career as an
apprentice plater at Thornaby Fabrications
after leaving school in 1977.
His natural leadership qualities were
spotted early on and by the age of 19 he
was in charge of a team of men, all older
than himself. He has since built up a small
business empire that includes Wilton
Engineering, Universal Coatings and Port
Clarence Logistics, all based in the shadow
of the Transporter Bridge.
“I’ve honestly never had a bad day at
work,” he smiles. “People come to me with
what they think is terrible news, but I just
see it as a challenge and try to work out
how we can solve it.
“I’m probably happier when things go
wrong because then I can do something
about it. I suppose if you’re an engineer,
you’re fundamentally a problem solver –
that’s what you do.”
On the day of our interview, Bill is in the
office early as usual, just as the sprawling
54-acre site is springing into life. Later in the
morning he’s dashing off to be measured
up for a suit to wear when he is presented
with the OBE that was announced in the
New Year Honours, to the delight of his
many admirers.
“It came completely out of the blue,” he
reveals. “The envelope was soaking after
the postman had left it sticking out of the
mailbox. The letter was all smudged and
I could make out ‘Prime Minister’, ‘Her
Majesty the Queen’, ‘Buckingham Palace’
but I only realised what it was when I saw
OBE at the top of the second page.
“I always associate honours with
athletes and film stars – you don’t often see
engineers getting them.”
While he was delighted to be recognised
for his services to engineering and the
offshore oil and gas and wind sectors, Bill
“I’m probably happier when
things go wrong because then
I can do something about it. I
suppose if you’re an engineer,
you’re fundamentally a problem
solver – that’s what you do.”
was even more thrilled that the citation also
recognised his extraordinary commitment
to the community of Teesside.
“That bit really choked me,” he admits.
“I’m a passionate Teessider and I try to do
as much as I can behind the scenes for
people here, so that struck a little chord.”
He believes in giving back to the
community in any way he can, including
supporting Teesside Philanthropic
Foundation and taking part in initiatives such
as the CEO Sleepout to raise money to
tackle homelessness.
He also works tirelessly to convince
Teesside youngsters that there’s nothing
to stop them following in his footsteps by
becoming their own bosses or achieving
whatever dreams they have. But he insists:
“I couldn’t do anything like what I do
without the amazing support of my family,
my fellow directors and staff.
“I get a massive kick out of inspiring the
next generation to be the best they can
be,” he says. “I go into schools and also
bring groups of pupils here and get them in
overalls, hardhats, glasses and boots and
take them into our workshops to see the
huge transition pieces – or BYTs, big yellow
things, as I call them – that we fabricate for
offshore wind farms.
“I can’t over-emphasise how similar I was
to them. I wasn’t particularly bright at school
but I was very competitive. I’m not a special
person, I haven’t got a degree. Although
going to university is a good thing, I also
tell them they don’t have to go to college
or university. If you work hard, you will get
picked up.”
Alongside inspiring young people, his
other passion is banging the drum for
Teesside industry, and for UK companies
in general, on both the national and
international stage.
Last year he produced a report with
former government minister Sir Michael
Fallon calling for Teesside to become a hub
for the booming offshore wind industry,
which Wilton Engineering switched its focus
to after the disastrous downturn in the oil
and gas sector.
“We need to keep pushing the
government for UK content if we’re going to
make industry sustainable,” he insists. “It’s
about taking a long-term view.
“France, Norway and Germany generally
don’t give any work away until they have
to, and yet we British do – we’re absolutely
barmy! It doesn’t make sense, either
economically or socially.
“I’m not saying give contracts to UK firms
regardless, we have to be competitive.
Here at Wilton we’ve introduced lean
manufacturing and thinking, looking at
logistics and how we move and weld
things. We’ve recently invested a further
£3m in our paint company, Universal
Coatings, so we offer a lot to the area.
“I’ve signed up as an “Export Champion”
to help the Department for International
Trade by attending seminars and trying
to encourage other companies to export,
making it easier and helping them do it.
After all, if we don’t have manufacturing and
exporting, what do we have as a country?”
In Bill’s book, business is all about
collaboration rather than competition and he