Sponsored by Teesside University
WINNER: BILL SCOTT Chief executive, Wilton Group
THE man who has built up one of the North East’s fastest growing companies of recent years was recognised as Teesside’s Business Executive of the Year 2011 as well as winning the title in the regionwide category.
Bill Scott, with his fellow director Steve Glenn, started what is now The Wilton Group in 1994, with Wilton Engineering Services (WES) providing fabrication and site support for offshore and petrochemicals.
In 1999 shotblasting and coatings were introduced through Universal Coatings, in 2000 the group formed Wilton Marine Services and in 2006 one of the UK’s largest fabrication sites was bought.
In 2008 the group acquired PD&MS in Aberdeen, with the company going on to open offices on Teesside, and today the business offers a wide range of services from project management, design, procurement, fabrication, painting, offshore labour, commissioning and testing through to loadout, delivery and installation.
With turnover on target to reach £84m this year, Scott envisages further acquisitions in the future, as well as developing the company’s presence in the renewable and nuclear sectors.
The group employs more than 600 people, with this figure likely to climb to 700 next year. Its highlights of the past 12 months have included the opening of a new fabrication facility in Dundee, the launch of a new company called PD&MS Energy do Brasil and the development of new base in Great Yarmouth.
The company is now ranked ninth place in the new Sunday Times HSBC International Track 100 league table, showing international sales growth of 187% in the last two years.
It also has a place in the Times top 100 in the Track 100 league for both the profit growth and growth companies categories.
WES also scored a hat-trick at the 2010 Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Awards. It was fastest North East grower for 2010 and fastest-growing large firm for 2010.
It has also won the 2011 Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Award for the second year running, the first company to do this.
Much of Scott’s success can be attributed to his ability to connect with his workforce. “What makes me tick,” he says, “is seeing the effort of the whole team come to fruition with the spin-offs that that can create.”