Shop talk

I've always had a passion for things made by engineers. As a boy, I'd dismantle my bicycle and inspect every part, although, when I'd put it back together, there were usually a few bits left over. My strong respect for manufacturing is the polar opposite of my feeling for much of the public sector – pretentious job titles that pay a lot but actually create very little of value. It may be an inherited attitude: my father took early retirement rather than turn from a town clerk into a council chief executive. I wanted to be independent so I spent a year working before reading engineering science at Oxford, sponsored by my employer. I went back after graduation. It was the early 70s, a dreadful time. Managers were pompous and opinionated; disgruntled workers were turning to militant unions and it felt like Britain was in meltdown. I left for Brussels, Nigeria and Germany, and didn't come back for 10 years. As an arrogant young man in the early 80s, I persuaded my boss and mentor in Germany to let me try and turn round a loss-making business that would otherwise close. The first six months were hell but almost any change we made was an improvement. Slowly we got it right. It had some really good engineers who had been palmed off with transitory managers; at least they saw hope in this keen but inexperienced guy. There really isn't any secret ingredient to turning round companies – it's all about genuine enthusiasm and getting people to work towards a common goal. It's always easier to rescue a company that is already on the rocks than one that is just bumbling along. From then onwards, every job has focused on getting a business back on an even keel. There is remarkable similarity in what needs to be done, regardless of the sector, but I much prefer engineering and manufacturing. I'd struggle to run a company I wasn't interested in. Initially, I was employed to do it but nowadays I put my own money in, aiming to add something new every couple of years. It's not a case of going in and getting rid of people. Okay – sometimes it does involve taking out senior people who haven't done much. But mainly it's about simplifying the processes, making sure less cash is going out than coming in, giving clear lines of responsibility and filling the gaps with able employees who haven't been given the opportunity before. It's wonderful to see how people get the message. I've been involved with Devlin Electronics since 2011 and Wickford Mould and Tool since 2009. In only 20 months, Devlin has got on with it so well that my need to be there is diminishing rapidly. In the past, I've always moved on once the business is up and thriving, but now I think I'd like to ease myself into a chairman's role in a number of successful, interlinked businesses. I have transferred manufacturing to China before, but I'm glad that today a lot is coming back here. There is no doubt, however, that UK industry faces major challenges. We can't go on taxing people like this: leaving individuals with just 49p buying power for every £1 it costs me to employ them. I have spent 30 years in British manufacturing giving more for less while the public sector has spent it giving less for more. And you've got to be frightened that China produces 400,000 engineers a year while we struggle to fill our training places. I have received six applications for a 10-week engineering placement in Devlin – and not one of them is British. Best advice? From my German mentor: "The people you've got are better than you think." Hero? Ernest Harrison at Rascal. He believed when a business topped 200 people, you should break off a bit and plant it again. His thinking produced Vodafone. Makes you angry? Indifference. I'm comfortable if people disagree with me, but I can't deal with people who simply don't care. Best thing you ever did? Five years ago I stopped being a gypsy, met and married Julia. Last meal before the firing squad? Not sure I'd care much, but I'd probably have cod. I know it's an endangered species but - against the wall - so am I!