Corporate Vision May 2017

32 CORPORATE VISION / May 2017 , Steve Jones, director and founder of European Active Projects, talks to us about his successful career in the wake of being awardedManaging Director of Q1 in the Finest in Business Awards 2017. Ship Building European Active Projects Ltd (EAPL) is primarily a Marine Engineering Company supporting all elements of the ship repair industry from fabrication, mechanical works through to Electrical repairs and installations. The company has six UK Locations (Middlesbrough, Hull, Chatham, Ramsgate, Southampton and Falmouth) with two mainland Europe bases (Gdansk, Poland & Constanta, Romania) – Head Office is in Chatham, Kent whereby the company has a 150M alongside berthing facility in a non-tidal wet berth. Recent diversification has seen EAPL conduct land based recycling projects installing plant and replacing sea wall structures. EAPL has a sales turnover of c£10 million and growing with 50 staff and the use of around 200 contractors. Steve Jones is director of EAPL, he tells us more about the firm’s three areas of experience and expertise: technical capabilities; project management and recruitment. “With the company being in the heavier end of the engineering sector technical expertise is paramount in order to carry out repair and replacement projects to the specification requirements of ship owners,” he begins. “Project management is also a key area – there is little or no movement in project completion timing, it is a must that projects must be completed to deadlines and specifications, if any delays are experienced it has a direct impact on ship owners’ ability to be back at sea earning money, the opportunity cost of a ship in dock is extremely high. “Recruitment of the correct skilled, qualified and certified contractors is of high importance – the skills required within the industry is high and in order to satisfy the technical and project management areas the recruitment of these skills is a must.” Steve owns 100% of the shareholding of EAPL and his role is to lead the team but also to allow them to run themselves with a strategic direction. Each location has a geographical manager reporting to the operations manager, each geographical manager is responsible for their sales and contribution budgets and adherence to customer and H&S requirements. “I have only a small number of direct reportees but do take a great interest in all the areas,” explains Steve. “I travel extensively meeting customers in each region and beyond, I also have a keen interest in the financial areas of the company ensuring cash and profitability meet expectations. “We have twice yearly strategy meetings at head office with all the geographical managers and senior managers present – this is a day’s event covering all aspects of the business and ensuring the future direction meets expectations and desires.” Steve has spent his working life in the transport engineering sector, completing a technical apprenticeship with British Rail Engineering in York in the early 1980’s and transferring to Hampshire on completion of the apprenticeship. “I then joined British Aerospace in Hamble as an Aircraft Fitter in the mid 1980’s – BAE has always been a progressive employer and soon promoted me into their commercial department – in this time I continued with part time education and moved rapidly up the ladder within Hamble and attained an MBA.” BAE sold Hamble in the mid 90’s and Steve, by the age of 30, became managing director of one of the Hamble Group’s businesses which he ran for five years until it was purchased by Smith’s Group in 2001. “I was approached by Lord King of Wartnaby (Ex Chief of British Airways) in 2001 to take control as chief executive of his Engineering Company in Leicester with a shareholding – I did this and turned it into another Aerospace Company.” It was in 2005, in partnership with a ship repair group, that Steve launched EAPL. The company started as a recruitment base for skilled ship repair workers, however it developed well and quickly grew – he maintained his presence with the Leicester Aerospace company until 2009. “In 2009, I sold my interest in the aerospace company, purchased the balance of the shares in EAPL and also acquired the ship care business based in Chatham, Hull & Dover – I decided then to relocate EAPL from its Midlands base to Chatham as Head Office, this turned EAPL into a bona-fide marine engineering company. In 2013 I also acquired a marine electrical company based out of Southampton.” Steve enjoys business and leading people, as he embellishes: “I am not autocratic and I believe the people that can express themselves will be more successful, there is the odd business trip up that comes with the territory. “I do enjoy a satisfied and pleased customer – my strengths have always been in this area and I run the company on this basis – whilst of course ensuring profitability.” Recently, Steve was awarded the prestigious accolade of Managing Director of Q1 in the 2017 Finest in Business Awards. He tells us how it felt to be given this title, and what he owes his success to. “It is very pleasing to win this award; however, credit must be given to the team within EAPL, the company is diverse in geography and all must and do communicate closely and well, this is a real strength of the company and its success. “They do genuinely play a huge role – they are the technical expertise, the project management and the recruitment – the back-office support staff also add to this tremendously.” 1704CV24