Member Article

Bill Scott launches Hartlepool Business Breakfast

One of the North East’s leading business executives has urged smaller companies to be ambitious if they are to win big contracts.

Wilton Group CEO Bill Scott was speaking at the launch of the Hartlepool Business Breakfast Club at the town’s Innovation Centre.

Mr Scott, who is the North East Business Executive of the Year, addressed the audience at Queens Meadow Business Park on how SMEs could win work from larger companies.

He said: “My advice is for businesses is not to be shy, be proud of what you have already achieved, be ambitious and be confident. We have built our business up through reputation, continuously talking to people and knocking on doors that are seemingly closed.

“You have to remember that when you try to get into a big company, it is likely that they already have the services you supply as well as 20 other people knocking on their door wanting to get in too.

“You have to think about how you can be different and stand out; being better, sharper and thinking smarter.

“One of the first things we did 18 years ago was to make sure our presentation was as good as it could be and ensuring our quotes were more professional than the competition. And obviously when you get a foot in the door and you’re given the opportunity to do a small bit of work for a company, make sure you do a great job.

“When we won our first contract we moved heaven and earth to make sure it was a top quality job, delivered on time and on budget. We have kept those principles for every single job we have done since.”

Mr Scott, who is also The Entrepreneur Forum’s North East Business Executive of the Year and Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, grew The Wilton Group from scratch with his business partner Steve Glenn and a £15,000 bank loan. The business, which specialises in engineering and fabrication for the energy and offshore industries, now employs more than 800 people and has a turnover in excess of £80million.

The first Hartlepool Business Breakfast was attended by more than 40 business people from across the North East. The event will be held on the first Thursday of every month at the Innovation Centre, on the Queens Meadow Business Park, with a key aim of bringing together smaller businesses with some of the region’s largest firms.

Organiser Samantha Lee of PR firm Publicity Seekers said: “Bill’s story of growth, drive and ambition is so inspiring. He’s also got a great sense of humour and some of his stories had us cracked up.

“The idea of the Hartlepool Business Breakfast Club is to bring in people who can help smaller businesses get a foot in the door with large companies and win big contracts.

“We are absolutely delighted that the first one was such a huge success with a fantastic turnout and we look forward to the next one on October 4 when our guest speaker is Alan Lloyd, yard director at Heerema.”

The Hartlepool Business Breakfast will be held on the first Thursday of each month. For more information, contact Publicity Seekers on 0845 226 9126 or email breakfast@publicityseekers.co.uk

Picture shows Bill Scott, of The Wilton Group, with Samantha Lee, of Publicity Seekers.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Publicity Seekers PR .