This week marks the first year anniversary of Business Development Manager Craig Pringle at ACT Construction (Europe) Ltd.
It’s fair to say, it has not been the most straightforward year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Craig was furloughed in March when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced Scotland’s lockdown and he returned to work part-time in July.
Craig’s role is to win new business and develop existing clients, with the goal of increasing the company’s turnover. His background is in the refrigeration industry and most recently he has been focusing on returning ACT to a core market in food and drink.
Craig said: “Prior to lockdown in Scotland, I spent the first months of my new position learning more about the business and looking to increase my customer base and contacts for ACT.
“From the start, I have enjoyed the office environment, working with the managing director Ken and staff and the company’s focus and ethos of face-to-face engagement with customers.
“I usually travel many thousands of miles each year to meet people and I was happy to be doing so with ACT.
“Of course, this all suddenly changed in March and we entered a furlough period.”
Since July, Craig has engaged with customers via virtual meetings. He said: “We have all needed to adapt to different a work practice and while I do still prefer meeting people in person, the business required that I worked virtually.
“I have taken the time to consolidate my customer base, research new people and businesses to engage with and to look at our supply chain.
“I have also been instrumental in helping to grow the number of customers and we have had many strong enquiries. I have also helped to steer the business back to a core market of food and drink.
“We believe there is going to be a business boom in the food and drink industry and especially post-Brexit.
“I feel proud of what I have achieved with ACT in only a year.”
Ken Godsman, managing director of ACT, is also delighted with Craig’s progress. He said: “Craig has become a valuable member of our team and showed early on that he possesses great people skills and is very well connected throughout our industry.
“He has taken us back into our core market in the food industry while, at the same time, working closely with Derek Bain (Head of Pre-Construction) in ensuring we drive all areas of the business forward.”
Now back in the office, Craig says he is looking forward to his next year at ACT. He said: “While there were some aspects of working from home that I liked, such as spending more time with my family, it is good to be back in the workplace.
“We have new offices, which are well located and the larger space allows for physical distancing. The future looks good for business and we feel a strong 2021 is on the cards.”
