Member Article

Yorkshire festive focus: Ian Hunter, Sheffield Window Centre

As Christmas is only weeks away, and the businesspeople of Yorkshire are preparing to hang up their stockings, Bdaily is catching up with the region’s business leaders to reflect on the highlights of 2016 and how they plan on spending the holiday period.

For the series’ next instalment, we are speaking with Ian Hunter, Director of the Sheffield Window Centre.

What were the three biggest highlights for your business in 2016?

We were over the moon to be named the UK ‘Installer of the Year’ by the UK window industry at the G Awards. Our award was a really proud moment for all of our family and is down to the hard work of every single member of staff, many of whom we’ve known for over 25 years. Without their efforts we couldn’t be where we are today.

Our continued involvement with Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity is a topical highlight: we have sponsored two snowflakes on the side of their building this year, up from one previously.

And we employed a few more people this year – it’s great to create stable jobs and add to the workforce.

What are your business’ goals going into 2017?

We are careful not to target growth for growth’s sake – our absolute priority is to always ensure we can provide the quality of service that our customers love. But we always want to find ways to do things even better. We’re well known for our Sheffield-made windows, but we have also launched new ranges of composite doors and aluminium bi-folding doors and hope to install more of these, as they are an excellent product. We also installed more solid roofs and mixed glazing roofs in 2016 and want to do more of this work in 2017. Underpinning everything, we want to receive even more positive surveys on Which Trusted Trader in 2017.

Anything you/your business would have done differently over the past year?

I do completely trust in my fantastic team, and think I’ve become better and better at delegating, but I know the buck stops with me and I’m determined to always get things right. So I’ve sometimes wished that I could switch off more in the evenings rather than take work home.

Why do you think Yorkshire is a great place to do business?

People in Yorkshire really do appreciate products manufactured locally. They work hard, but with creativity and a real innovative spark – there is a huge wealth of talent, with a fascinating mixture of cutting edge technology through to traditional skills. And Yorkshire folk don’t suffer fools gladly. I love the honesty and integrity I see every day in the people we work with.

Any other company/companies in the region stand out for you?

We love to support local sport and sponsor the Sheffield Steelers Ice Hockey team. It’s a fantastic family day out – and an incredibly well-run business, with the legendary commercial director, Mike O’Connor, and team all working hard to ensure their sponsors get an excellent return on their involvement.

What does Yorkshire want to see happen in the future/next year?

Whether we wanted to remain in, or to leave the EU, we all now need some clarity on what Brexit will mean so we can plan for the future. There needs to be clarity as quickly as possible for the sake of business stability and inward investment. Whatever way I or anyone else voted, we now need to know how it will work so that we can plan, and do what we all do in Yorkshire: knuckle down!

What individual goals did you achieve personally/professionally in 2016?

My personal priority has been to try and be a good dad and husband. Professionally, my goal has been to continue running the business well, in the interests of all the people we employ. I always want to do things better and make progress, and I feel that we really have done that this year, making great improvement in our systems and processes.

How to you unwind after a stressful day at work?

Getting home to Sarah and our twin girls is a joy after a busy day. In summer, we can take a walk in one of Sheffield’s fantastic parks or the Botanical Gardens, perfect for families. Or if we have a babysitter Sarah and I enjoy the expanding choices of great places to eat in Sheffield. If I go for a rare drink after work, then a stroll down to Kelham Island gives a huge choice of real ale to enjoy.

What would be the perfect Christmas gift for you?

An extra hour or two in the day to spend more time with my wife Sarah and our twin girls.

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