Partner Article

Behind the business with Facilities Service Group

George Lilley, managing director of Facilities Service Group, talks to Bdaily. The firm offers property solutions, including integrated facilities management and compliance services to commercial customers with nationwide portfolios.

What key challenges has your company recently faced?

We’ve faced the same challenges as companies across the country and across sectors. We’ve focussed very closely on service to existing clients to ensure we retain customers, and we’ve used that reputation for service to bring in new clients.

What is your biggest achievement over the past 12 months?

We completed a Management Buyout in February 2011 to become a standalone company. The management team at FSG has a strong understanding of our customers needs and the many strengths that exist within our business. With the support of our funder, the MBO allows us to invest in developing our services even further.

What is your biggest focus for the coming year?

Customer service and service development to make sure we are offering the best facilities management packages out there. A big part of service development will be grasping the implications of environmental policy, overcoming the challenges and red tape inherent in those policies and positioning ourselves to take maximum advantage of opportunities like the Green Deal on behalf of our customers and our own business. The slashing of the money available to people and firms installing photovoltaic technology through the Feed in Tariffs has knocked confidence in investing in sustainability. Commitment to the Renewable Heat Incentive will be important, and the Government needs to simplify and clarify exactly what the Green Deal will mean to the private sector.

The basic premise that businesses will not have to fork out upfront for energy efficiency measures that will pay for themselves reasonably quickly is attractive, and it could open up real opportunities for facilities management companies and their customers. We need to get to the devil in the detail as soon as possible.

If you had to choose one top piece of advice for someone just starting out in business, or is currently operating within your industry sector, what would it be?

To be transparent. Total integrity and transparency in your dealings with people is key.

Can you share with us your view of the current landscape of business, in this region or generally and where your organisation sits within it?

Uncertainty is usually the enemy of investment, and there is a lot of uncertainty to come. Policymakers need to do all they can to help kick-start growth, and that includes continuing to focus on potentially high-growth areas such as sustainability. Businesses, meanwhile, will have to be as efficient as possible and completely focussed on what the customer wants.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .