Partner Article

bdaily goes behind the scenes of SES with Regional Director Steve Joyce

SES is one of the UK’s leading building services providers to the construction Industry, working across a diverse range of sectors including health, education, commercial, waste and infrastructure.

The company has enjoyed a strong presence in the region since opening its north east office in 2004.

Steve Joyce, Regional Director, answers bdaily’s questions:

What key challenges has your company recently faced?

The current recession and all that it brings is the biggest challenge we have faced. The downturn in the economy, predicting when it will end and what sectors will emerge or survive, is the ongoing challenge. However, in order to meet these challenges head on and be trading with those who not only survive but thrive, we have had to look strategically at our business and drive efficiency right through it, in order to reduce operating costs. This, coupled with the fact that there is a lot of ‘suicidal’ bidding for work going on, remains a constant challenge!

What is your biggest achievement over the past 12 months?

Our biggest achievement is our ability to successfully adapt our business to ‘weather the storm’. We have a tried and tested, ‘build before we build’ strategy which we adopt on all projects, no matter how large or small. This allows us to transfer as much as forty per cent of traditional on-site work, off-site, to PRISM our prefabrication facility thereby enabling SES to deliver a prefabricated solution. This has achieved both great time and cost savings, as well as reductions in construction waste.

What is your biggest focus for the coming year?

Winning more of the right type of work! To do this we will continue to work in established areas whilst at the same time target new and emerging sectors such as energy and nuclear.

If you had to choose one top piece of advice for someone just starting out in business, or is currently operating within your industry sector, what would it be?

I am a great believer in the saying of the great Roman poet, Horace: “difficult times have the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous times, would otherwise have lain dormant.”. Therefore, I am of the opinion that anyone who can run a successful businesses in these difficult trading conditions will be ready for the upturn when it arrives.

Can you share with us your view of the current landscape of business, in this region or generally and where your organisation sits within it?

There are certainly signs of an upturn. However, it will be gradual - and there is a strong possibility that we will never return to where we were in the mid 2000’s. The North East is lagging behind some areas in the south because opportunities are few and far between. It is a constant challenge to get our share of the work, but through being focussed on working with specific clients and in specific sectors, we are maintaining our presence in the areas.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jonny Marshall .