Adam Carrison explains his company’s development, plans for the future and the value of its skilled and loyal workforce.
Specialist service providers continue to be in high demand throughout the FM sector, providing valuable support that is frequently delivered on a variable and adaptable basis to meet the needs of clients.
This is very much the case for MagicCote UK, the provider of a range of specialist cleaning services. Director Adam Carrison is the fourth generation of his family to run the business, with his father Ian Carrison continuing his involvement.
“My dad wouldn’t let me join until I’d had more work experience, so I joined BMW as a mechanic and completed an apprenticeship and then took a diploma in motor vehicles,” he says. “Dad is still involved in the pricing of jobs and the running of the business and we’ve had good growth over the last 10 years.”
A small and highly agile business
With 20 employees, the company can be seen to be one of the many smaller and highly agile businesses within the FM industry. It has increased its annual turnover from £150,000 to £1.2m over the last decade and Mr Carrison believes this upward trajectory will continue.
“We’ve got a great team and they are the key to our success. No one has left over the last few years and we’ve never had to sack anyone or make any redundancies and our staff is one of the best things about the business,” he says.
“Our longest-serving employee is Richard Deakin, who has been with us for more than 12 years, and we’re very nearly at the point where we’ll look to take on another two or three people, if business levels continue to increase.”
The company was preparing to launch a new brand, including updated logo and website, as this issue of FM Director went to press, which is designed to strengthen its image and assist with its future ambitious growth plans.
Launched by Mr Carrison’s great grandfather, the business merged with MagicCote following the death of its founder.
The name originates from the product of the same name, which was developed as a coating to allow the easy removal of chewing gum from pavements and floors.
“We were providing cleaning services to MagicCote originally, then took over the business when the owner died and we continue to offer the product and services to local councils and authorities, including Westminster,” he says.
Despite its small size, MagicCote delivers specialist services, including high level, window and deep cleaning options, to most areas within Scotland and England. In addition to customers such as Howden Joinery, the company works for large service providers.
“We’ve done a lot of work for Sodexo over the last few years and that’s worked well for us and them,” Mr Carrison continues. “While some of our staff have specialist skills, two or three of the younger guys are able to carry out all the services we offer.”
Efficient delivery
He further explains that work is scheduled to reduce travelling times wherever possible, with jobs allocated according to the staff’s skill sets and proximity to the location. Mr Carrison also continues to support the team with on-site service delivery.
The company is also keenly aware of its environmental responsibilities and recently invested in new Euro 6-compliant company vehicles, which meet the requirements of all vehicle emissions zones. Electric vehicles will be considered in the future when sufficient infrastructure is in place to support their use, says Mr Carrison.
We only have a small footprint for the building, so there’s not much chance to install renewable energy solutions
