Getting to know... Dean Murphy

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know… feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Dean Murphy, chief executive of East Riding of Yorkshire-based Salko UK, talks about building a family-centred business, expanding the company around the globe and why the Broad Acres is a perfect place to live and work.

We know you as the chief executive of Salko UK, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick…

I’m a family man, driven by the passion to establish something meaningful that supports my loved ones and contributes positively to my local region. 

Engineering alongside people is what truly motivates me, and I feel fortunate that Salko UK allows me to bring those passions together. 

Creating a family-centred business stands as my proudest achievement and I love being able to work alongside close friends and family daily.

Did you always want to work in the engineering sector?

Fifty years ago, I started my career as an apprentice electrician, having always had my sights set on the mechanical and electrical engineering sector. 

From those early days, I knew I wanted to build something of my own.

I had ambitions to start a business from early on, and in 2000 I took that leap and established Salko UK. 

We started with one employee, so seeing where the business is today is incredibly rewarding.

We’re now celebrating 28 full-time staff at our headquarters in Howden, as well as employing contractors across our projects nationwide, experiencing a record-breaking year for contracts in 2025. 

There are certainly moments when I look at what we’ve achieved and think, ‘how did we get here?’

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

One of the best things about my job is the people I get to work alongside.

I’m fortunate to work with an incredible team, including members of my own family, and to do so from the beautiful East Yorkshire countryside with our new flock of Valais Blacknose sheep!

Running a business brings challenges, and there are always difficult decisions to make, but I’ve never really viewed that as the ‘worst’ part of the job. 

The challenges are part of what keeps you moving forward.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

The company and the people behind it. 

To have built Salko UK from a business with one employee into an established engineering company delivering projects for global organisations across the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East and beyond is something I’m enormously proud of.

I’m particularly proud we’ve been able to build the business alongside family, friends and colleagues who have shared the same ambition and commitment. 

Seeing people develop their careers, watching the next generation become involved and knowing we are creating something with longevity is incredibly rewarding.

How do you relax outside of work?

I have a number of interests outside Salko UK, including swimming, watching Formula One and supporting Leeds United, and I’m also developing other businesses within the leisure sector with the longer-term aim of creating opportunities for my children and grandchildren.

More recently, we purchased a flock of Valais Blacknose sheep, and we’re now looking at developing a farming business around them.

I’m also an active member of our local parish council. 

Where possible, I attend meetings and get involved in initiatives and causes I believe can make a positive contribution to the local community and economy.

What makes Yorkshire such a great place to live and work?

Yorkshire has a huge amount going for it as a place to do business. 

We’re ideally positioned in terms of the major motorway and rail networks, making the region highly accessible, while also benefiting from a strong engineering heritage and an excellent pool of skilled people. 

The legacy of mining, power generation, shipbuilding and heavy engineering has also left a real depth of knowledge and expertise across the region.

But for me, it goes beyond business. 

Yorkshire has an incredible combination of beautiful countryside, coastline, strong communities and, above all, great people.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

I suppose I was something of a late developer! My wife and I have been married for 49 years, and she would probably tell you I didn’t properly grow up until I turned 50.

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