Paul Abbott, managing director of Chandos Timber Engineering, makes no bones about his humble upbringing.
If some in industry were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, Paul Abbott says “I was born with a council shovel in mine!”
However, in his short 37 years he has worked his way up from those beginnings to running a company producing timber frame panels, floor cassettes and trusses with projected sales of £9m.
Paul’s working life started on a YTS (youth training scheme) placement at Howarth’s in Ashton, making scaffold boards and earning £27.50 a week. “It was meant to be a couple of weeks’ experience and I ended up staying 14 years,” he said. “I think my main responsibility then was to be blamed for all the punctures from loose nails which were dropped when we put the cleats on!”
He soon twigged that there were proper jobs if you were keen enough. “With due respect to many in the trade, it’s not full of rocket scientists. You’ve got to be motivated. By working hard you can get on,” he said.
Paul had experience in a variety of roles – trade counter manager, production manager of the mill, and running the yard. Soon the wages had risen. “It wasn’t long before I’d got to £160 a week and I wanted to go out and sell, to get a company car. I ended up with an Escort although I really wanted a Golf.” It wasn’t long before Paul’s duties included roof truss production as well.
The possibilities for timber frame became apparent when Paul saw a development and realised it was one of his customers. “Until then we’d been selling him everything, so unless we could produce panels we’d lose everything. It became obvious that timber frame was an emerging market,” he said. “We set up a timber panels business in a rented warehouse and got started.”
Forming the company
Around this time, in 2000, Paul was about to emerge as a serious entrepreneur. “I didn’t see the promotion I’d hoped for and I read an article that said the prime age to start a business is 32. Well, I was 32 and I’d met the owner of a property company, Chandos Developments, who was interested in the idea of starting a company. Tom Wilcock joined as the designer and we had a team, with orders coming in from Chandos Developments. Chandos Timber Engineering was formed, with its key target markt being the M62 corridor, Preston at one end, Birmingham the other.
“We started with one lad – Gary Cross, who’s still with us – and we just worked our way up, going from strength to strength.”
Strength indeed, as the growth in turnover shows: 2001 £0.9m; 2003 £2.5m; 2005 £7.5m. And there’s substance behind the turnover, with some serious investment, including the move to a purpose-built 3.5-acre site in Rochdale in 2003. Initially the company used a 22,000ft2 unit, but two further units were added in a £4m investment. This has given Chandos the ability to manufacture its own trusses and move into the floor cassette market.
“There’s no magic answer,” said Paul, “apart from being very cost conscious and hard working. Customers know we’re serious and we concentrate on small- to medium-sized developers for our business. 2005 was the time when we decided to plan ahead with the arrival of John Sutton, who heads up sales and marketing, with a goal to reach of £20m per year.”
The operation also requires a great deal of planning away from site, where Chandos’ team of fitters erect the timber frame panels, floor cassettes and trusses on site.
“We have around 60 site fitters, working in teams of three,” Paul explained, “and we’ll go where the work is if it fits our capability. I believe anything’s possible but you have to deliver against what you say you’ll do.”
With a growing business, young family and ongoing plans to continue with Chandos’ rapid expansion, there may seem little time for hobbies and pastimes, but unsurprisingly, Paul shows the same focus as he does in business. “I enjoy my squash, gym and football, together with my main hobby, following Manchester United.” As the pile of programmes reveals, he takes this seriously, travelling to most matches.
The accolades have also followed Paul’s success, with his achievement as Young Business Person of the Year in 2003, run by the Manchester Evening News.
From hereon, is the plan achievable? “Very much so,” he said. “Timber frame’s on the crest of a wave and our share is still only a small part of it. Providing we carry on doing what we do now, we can ride that wave for a long time to come.”
Chandos Timber Engineering business will also feature in TTJ’s August 19/26 Timber Frame focus.
