Installer of the year winners

FOCUS ON LIBERTY FITTING SERVICES - WORTHY WINNERS OF 'THE INSTALLER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2018

At the prestigious ek&bbusiness Awards & Review 2018, held recently in London, Liberty Fitting Service Ltd scooped the much sought-after ‘INSTALLER OF THE YEAR AWARD.'

It’s been a tumultuous period for the company as it was also voted ‘Scotland Best All Trade Company’ at the 2018 Scottish Home Improvement Awards. These honours have clearly been bestowed on well deserving recipients and as the market leading KBB installer magazine, we were the first to speak to the owners of Liberty, Mark Conacher and Tom McAuley; we asked how it feels to win and how the business has risen to such prominence:

Many congratulations Mark and Tom, what does this honour mean to you?

Wow! Winning this award means everything to us. In essence, the work that we do as a company has been given a huge nod from our industry peers. That’s a great feeling.

How do you think you can use the title to your best advantage?

We will look to use the award to help separate Liberty from the crowd. Also, when we are looking to win contracts or private customers, this award will instantly give the client greater confidence in the company.

Wow! Winning this award means everything to us. In essence, the work that we do as a company has been given a huge nod from our industry peers. That’s a great feeling."

What advice do you have for anyone else being nominated?

Just being nominated or shortlisted for this award really is a massive achievement in itself. If it happens, celebrate it, use it.

So, going right back to the beginning, what got you into fitting kitchens and bathrooms?

M: I served my time working in private homes and always loved it. So, when the opportunity arose to move away from building site work where I was at the time and back into private homes installing for MFI, it was too good a chance to pass up.

T: Agreed, meeting new customers, working in their homes, never in the same place for too long always beats a building site for me, hands down.

How long have you been installing?

M: Solely focusing on kitchens and bathrooms, 23 years but 33 years in the trade.

T: Kitchens and bathrooms, 9 years, all in, 30 years. That makes me younger!!

What’s has been your biggest challenge whilst growing your business?

Being honest, probably finding and keeping good staff. There is definitely a shortage of skilled tradesmen out there, though we do have an electrician that has been working with the company for over 20 years.

Do you have any retail contracts?

Yes, we are currently carrying out installations on behalf of Wren Kitchens and Bathstore.

Why do you work with retailers?

With retailers, it’s a steady stream of work that you can pretty much count on. When you are trying to grow a business, having regular work is a good place to start.

What do you want from a retail contract?

Other than steady work, it’s sometimes good to feel part of something bigger.

What’s the secret of growing a successful business?

Remembering to work ON your business and not just IN your business. It’s so easy to hide behind being busy but busy doesn’t always mean success.

How has BiKBBI helped your journey?

Obviously as business owners, the buck stops at us. For Liberty, knowing that the BiKBBI are there and that they have our back is very reassuring. These guys are fighting for this industry every day to make our jobs as installers and business owners better. The support they offer from legal to financial to training, etc. is amazing. We definitely see being members of the BiKBBI as part of our success.

What is your biggest challenge today?

We both agree that actually switching off from work can 

be a big challenge. This is an exciting time for the company and we both have families, so making sure we remember to shut down and spend quality time with them is hugely important.

M: It seems for some reason my 11yr old son doesn’t

What’s next for Liberty?

Having just won these two awards, customer expectation has obviously gone through the roof. Managing those expectations and living up to the accolades is our number one focus at this time.

What are your opinions of the BiKBBI?

We have nothing but positive things to say about the BiKBBI and would definitely encourage anyone 

For Liberty, knowing that the BiKBBI are there and that they have our back is very reassuring. These guys are fighting for this industry every day to make our jobs as installers and business owners better."

considering membership with them to jump right in. Your membership will pay for itself, over and over. They are leading this industry to better things and we are very excited to be part of that.

Will Liberty be utilising the BiKBBI led apprenticeship scheme?

This is something we have been discussing lately and hopefully we will be taking advantage of this scheme in the near future.

If you can offer one piece of advice for an apprentice, what will it be?

M: Measure twice and cut once.

T: Pay attention to ALL the different trades you work alongside, there is so much you can learn from them as well.

And if you had one piece of advice for an existing installer wanting to grow his business, what would it be?

Growing your business from being a sole trader to a multi-team means you will be spending more time running your business and chasing work rather than actually installing. Be prepared for that and learn as much as you can about business beforehand and get to know your numbers, costs, etc. inside-out.

What’s the future for Liberty?

Great question. The KBB industry is definitely changing and changing for the better. We look forward being part of that and changing with it. The really big picture would be to hopefully create an installation company that will outlast both of us and that will help sustain local employment for as many tradesmen as possible.

www.libertyfittingservice.co.uk