Hi Will, to set the scene, talk us through a normal working day if you can?
I know it’s a cliché but, in my role, no two days are generally the same. Of course, all our working lives have changed since the pandemic hit and like everyone else, I have had to learn how to carry out my role almost entirely remotely. I’m not yet sure what the new normal looks like but I’m as interested as anyone to see how it plays out. I like to stay pretty close to the business and I’m actively involved in most of the big initiatives on a day-to-day basis, but I’m also involved in some really interesting steering groups and committees with our peers which is taking up more and more of my role. We are seeing an influx of new guidance, legislation and technology post-Grenfell and as an industry we are getting together and finding out how we can turn that into a better and safer experience for our customers.
What achievement are you most proud of in our 40-year history?
There are so many to choose from. Some of the buildings we have worked on are genuinely historic and inspirational and being part of those “wow” projects is always satisfying. Our commitment to compliance and safety is something we are all proud of in SE Controls and that is something that was instilled in me from when my father Bill Perkins was leading the business and it is a commitment I have ensured has endured. Our range of Tested Solutions and our commitment to constant testing of our products with accredited 3rd party certification, being the first company to achieve SDI 19 status, sitting through days and days of creating international legislation to make our industry safer, none of this is simple or quick but it allows us to go to market confident that our products, installations and our people set the standard for compliance in our industry.
What are your hopes for the business in the next 10 years?
The digital revolution is coming, certainly for SE Controls but also for the UK Construction Market. In fact, it is here, and the conversations I am having in those steering groups and with our key clients is evidence for that. With the changes in legislation coming our way in the Building Safety Bill as well as incoming standards like BS 8644 and 8670 the only way the industry is going to be able to meet these new expectations is through digitalisation of the products and indeed the businesses in the supply chain. I see SE Controls at the vanguard of this revolution, for our industry at least, and more and more we are leveraging well developed technologies like Bluetooth, cloud technology and mobile apps to provide a better solution for our clients but also to make life easier for our employees wherever possible. I see digitalisation at an operational but also a commercial level as the backdrop for the next decade for SE Controls.