WISE WORDS Douglas Anderson of GAP Group gave guests at The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards a fascinating insight into the company he has jointly headed with brother Iain since 1988.
Family-run GAP, which reported record annual profits and turnover in October, has successfully navigated several economic downturns in the 50 years since it was established by their father Gordon in1969.
But it is not an experience Mr Anderson would happily contemplate again.
On the subject of recessions, he told guests: “I have done three and I don’t want to do another!”
Mr Anderson added that while it is hard to build a company during a downturn, he told guests that “you really earn your spurs in a recession”.
APPRENTICES Sixteen modern apprentices (MA) are taking up full-time posts with CalMac after completing their training with the ferry and harbour operator.
It comes in the year the state-owned company recruited its 100th MA, having seen the number of apprentices its recruits annually more than double since 2016.
Director of operations Robert Morrison said: “Our training programmes are an important source of skilled labour for us.
“Having a pipeline of recruits ensures we are able to continue to seamlessly deliver a consistently high standard of service for customers.”
TOILET TALK Back with Douglas Anderson of GAP Group, the business veteran explained in his speech to the Family Business Awards that the firm’s success over the years has been partly down to its ability to diversify.
The company has expanded beyond its traditional plant hire specialism by moving into areas such as crowd-control barriers, trenching and shoring products, surveying equipment and welfare units. The latter was described by Mr Anderson as just a “fancy word for toilets”.
Summing up his speech, he added: “That is the first 50 years… I don’t think I’ll be here for the century!”
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