I N THE HOT S EAT
Reinforcing – the point
We talk to Paul Sullivan, managing director at Anglo European, who reflects on
change within the window and door industry, football and staying fit at nearly !
GGP: How did you get into the industry?
Paul Sullivan (PS): I joined Anglo in , which
at the time was the family business. We were
specialising in stock holding for some of the older
systems – Status, Regency, Premier and probably
turning over £.8 to £million.
At that time, I was in my €s and I didn’t have the
focus that I do now. Then we received an approach
to sell in €€„ – and that’s when things clicked.
I thought, if someone is prepared to come in and
pay out for the business now, what is its’ potential
and where could it go? That’s when we really
got our heads down. We completed the MBO
in €€6, starting four-day delivery on cut to size
reinforcement which transformed the business.
It took out labour and it took out scrap. The
advantages that this delivered in reducing overheads,
releasing capital and eliminating scrap, was massive.
Suddenly, there was no commitment to buy
complete bar length or employ someone to stand
at a saw. The savings were instant. That’s when we
became what are as a business today.
GGP: What changes have you seen good or bad,
in that time?
PS: Consolidation is the big one. When we started,
we were holding stock for € plus systems. That’s
obviously changed significantly already and I think
more consolidation is going to happen. The same to
a point in fabrication.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? If it leaves us
as an industry with the better companies and gets rid
of the ones that don’t deliver product quality, service
– the ones that rip people off – then it’s a good thing.
With that, a lot of the egos have gone out of the
industry too, the big spending flash ones, because
you can’t afford to be like that anymore. You need to
be focussed on running your business professionally.
The other thing we’ve seen is incredible
innovation, from people like Dan Gill and Nick
Dutton, who have really changed the shape of the
industry and its offer to the end-user.
More recently I’d say it’s the influence of external
investors which has been perhaps a negative
experience for some businesses but for us an
incredibly positive one. It’s all about who you choose
as a partner. We weren’t greedy, we retained a ˜€%
July www.ggpmag.com
“In this industry, if you have determination
and drive you can go from the shop floor to
making a million in ’- “ years”
share in the business but we wanted to work with
Octopus because they could support us in getting to
the next step. When they came on board we’d been
banging on the door of a £€m turnover for a couple
of years and it didn’t matter how hard we knocked,
we couldn’t get through it.
They provided investment but more importantly,
they came with expertise and a lot of people who
are far more intelligent than me – and they delivered
a plan. That’s what you need, you need to bring in
highly intelligent people, a plan, and to stick to it.
GGP: What do you like best about the window
and door industry?
PS: In this industry, if you have determination and
drive you can go from the shop floor to making a
million in €- years. You don’t need to have an
expensive education or to have been born with a
silver spoon in your mouth. You can go from having
nothing to having everything. There aren’t many
industries left like that and I love it for that.
GGP: What is your outlook for the industry in
the next 6- 8 months – boom or bust?
PS: Our financial year ended in March – but I can tell
you that last year was the best year Anglo European
has ever had. We have been hit by lockdown like
everyone else but our performance has massively
exceeded our expectations, we’ve brought on a
massive amount of new business and we will be back
to €€% of pre-lockdown turnover within as little as
six weeks from now.
More consolidation is inevitable and I think in
six to -months’ we will see significant changes at
fabrication and systems levels. We are positioning
ourselves now so that our offer as a group, which
includes rolled steel and aluminium extrusions, is
primed to service it.
GGP: Is there anything you would have done
differently in your career within the industry?
PS: Professionally, my only regret is that we didn’t
push harder when we had an opportunity to, to
acquire one of our competitors, because it would
have made the market far better for fabricators.
Personally, during the time that we were growing
Anglo, I let down my ex-wife very badly. We have
three great children, Tom, , who is a physio; Erin,
, who is training in child psychology; Sam, ˜, who
is studying but focussed on working in aerospace.
None of them want to work in this industry and
that’s fine; albeit the business has been a big safety
net for them and probably allowed them to throw
themselves into what they really want to do.
GGP: If you could have chosen another career
path, what would it have been?
PS: Used car salesman, well, exotic car salesman. I
was on that path before I came into Anglo working in
commercial fleet sales but I always wanted to work in
sales of exotic and super cars, and that’s what I was
working towards.
GGP: On a more personal note – what do you
enjoy doing away from work?
PS: I do a lot of HIIT high intensity interval training,
at least four sessions a week; I also cycle and walk a
couple of times. Exercise helps me wash away the
stress – and focus. I admit I’m also quite vain, so the
training helps. Football’s another big part of my life. I
still play the ‘vets game’ but used to play semi-pro for
Manchester teams including Mossley. I was playing
in what’s now the Evo Stik League against teams like
Hyde United, Droylsden and FC united.
GGP: You’re based within a stone’s throw of the
Etihad Stadium but you’re a Manchester United
fan. Is it slightly less painful to see Liverpool lift
this year’s title, and will United do it next year?
PS: As a United fan, either Liverpool or City winning
the league is terrible. As a football fan, the best
team won and that’s a beautiful thing. United need a
couple more players to get there still and to be more
consistent but I think we’ll see a top four finish.
/www.ggpmag.com
