Inspiring our leaders through mentoring
Despite its use in most industrial applications, fluid power is a relatively niche industry and retaining and sharing knowledge across the business is critical for our survival and growth.
We buy reputable businesses; proven performers with strong links to product brands, established relationships with customers and most of all leaders and teams with knowledge and experience of the market.
Earn-out acquisitions present a suitable opportunity to learn about each business while capitalising on the additional revenue generated. Following this period, the Board has been keen to retain key personnel in the business and in 2018 set up a mentoring programme.
Mentoring programme
In line with our strong leadership culture, we are keen to inspire and empower employees.
Through our new mentoring programme, we have successfully retained three former business owners who will play an important role in employee development.
Stephen Merrie
Former MD and owner of Primary Fluid Power who set up the Company in 1987.
Stephen Merrie sold his business to the Group in August 2014, since then he has been active in a variety of initiatives including mentoring for charities such as Help the Heroes, working with various training institutions and additionally sitting on both the BFPA and North Notts College Committees. In the last year, Stephen has been involved with Liverpool John Moores University Business School, as a Personal Academic Tutor, mentoring students in business. During this time, he’s been working closely with Managers across our Group, on a one-to-one basis, imparting technical and commercial knowledge and supporting with strategic planning. In many cases he acts as a sounding board to verify thoughts and ideas. Stephen is also integral to the apprenticeship programme at Primary Fluid power, delivering hydraulic training courses and supporting with apprentice learning journals.
Stuart Diesel
Former MD and owner of Group HES.
Group HES was formed in 1965 and bought by Stuart Diesel 20 years ago. In October 2017, he sold his business to the Group. Since that time, he’s been involved in a number of personal hobby projects including advanced motorcycle training to become a volunteer blood biker, delivering urgent blood and samples for transplant operations and emergency requirements. Throughout 2018, Stuart has become increasingly involved with the Group in a mentoring capacity. In this role Stuart has focused on bringing together the technical resources throughout the Group to ensure better utilisation and awareness of all the strengths and resources available. In addition to this, he has designed and delivered technical training for all employees ranging from introductory to advanced, using a dedicated Bosch Rexroth didactic (training) bench.
The mentoring programme is closely aligned to and supports our Engage Programme, a mechanism for monitoring and improving employee engagement across the business. Both Stephen and Stuart’s passion for fluid power and business is both infectious and invaluable. We are confident, this investment in employee monitoring and engagement will enable us to grow our business significantly over the medium to long-term and look to extend our mentoring programme in 2019 with new members.
