About Uncomplicated
Since the age of 10 when “helping out” in my Grandad’s workshop, I’ve always been obsessed with how things are made.
Now, 30 years later, I still carry this fascination and have been fortunate enough to have worked in manufacturing all my life.
What started with trips around food manufacturers as a recruiter of maintenance engineers later became management of a 24/7 injection moulding facility churning out 300M+ parts per year.
With 12 years Corporate manufacturing under my belt, I decided to put my skills to good use and build a small group of interlinked companies within injection moulding.
In the UK there are around 1,200 injection moulders, of which 40% have owners aged 55 and over.
This means in the coming decade around 500 businesses will either transfer ownership or close their doors as their owners look to retire.
It’s commonly quoted that 80% of businesses never sell, and from my time searching I’ve found this to be true for a number of reasons:
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1. Lack of credible buyers who can run these businesses
2. Larger investment companies only acquire £5M+ turnover businesses
3. Many businesses aren’t in an “acquirable” state when the owner wants to sell
This is a tremendous shame.
Firstly, the loss of manufacturing knowledge, but equally many owners will never get succession for their company nor a financial reward after years of graft.
Rather than looking for a “perfect” company that can be managed from a boardroom, I like to use my experience to get under the skin of the business, and work with the people on the shop floor to help it grow.
I believe an open, simple sale process where everyone knows what to expect is far easier to navigate than boardrooms, spreadsheets, and complicated contracts. (That’s why we’re called “The Uncomplicated Group”)
If you’re thinking of selling one day and are looking for a safe pair of hands to give fresh energy to your business, please email me on steve@uncomplicatedgroup.co.uk
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Ps. If you’d like to learn more about my journey, I was recently invited to speak on the “Insights4Mfg” Podcast. Link below.