Champagne corks are flying this week as 15 members of The Alternative Board (TAB) in Leeds celebrated the achievement of their 2020 business targets.
Despite a challenging year, the 15 business owners have each hit the targets they set for their businesses at the beginning of 2020. Those achievements include securing a million-pound contract, an international sale agreement, recruiting a new Managing Director, beating annual sales targets, and successfully launching a new business.
James Hennigan is the owner and Managing Director at specialist electrical services contractor, Meson Electrical Services (MES). He has been a TAB Leeds member since 2012. Based in Garforth, MES designs, builds, and installs specialist fuel and electrical control systems for a national customer base that includes Jaguar Land Rover, Red Bull Racing and Leeds Bradford Airport.
In November, MES received an order for the company’s first million-pound contract, which will enable James to create three new jobs and launch a new electric car charging points division in 2021.
Sohan Panesar runs Yorkshire contracting, manufacturing, and shopfitting business P.E.C. He joined TAB in 2017. This year he has successfully turned an idea that started as ‘a scribble on a scrap of paper’ into Wulf Protective Ltd., a fire door manufacturing, installation, and maintenance company that is aiming to hit £1million turnover in its first year and create ten jobs. The new business has already created three jobs, priced £1million worth of contracts, and recently completed a manufacture and installation project at Canary Wharf.
Sohan says, “Getting a new business up and running this year was a tall order, but I’m thrilled to have done it. There were a few hurdles along the way – mainly securing the relevant accreditations and banking set up, which both took longer than they would usually, but in fact gave us the chance to spend that extra little bit of time getting everything just right.
“The support I’ve had from The Alternative Board has helped guide me in the right direction. Without it, I wouldn’t have taken this step.”
The Alternative Board is a global peer support and coaching business, established in 1990 and currently operating in 20 countries. TAB launched in the UK 11 years ago and brings business leaders together for monthly board meetings to share advice, with one-to-one coaching to help them stay focused, accountable and on track.
Dave McCartney has been running TAB in Leeds since 2009. He says: “It’s always fantastic to see our members achieving their goals, and even more so this year. In 2020, more than ever, a lot of business owners have experienced just how lonely it can be at the top and have realised the value of sharing knowledge and real-world experiences with other business owners who are in a similar position.
“Every one of these 15 businesses has faced challenges this year and yet they have all kept going, with the support of their fellow TAB members, and gone on to achieve what they set out to achieve in 2020. I’d like to extend my sincere congratulations to them all and I have no doubt that 2021 will bring even greater success for their businesses.”
