Q & A: Andrew Thompson
13 November 2020
Every Friday I ask an industry professional to give a brief insight into their business and their background. Today it’s the turn of Andrew Thompson, managing director of Mobile Mini UK, the UK division of Mobile Mini Inc of the USA, which specialises in hiring secure containers and site accommodation. With its headquarters in Stockton-on-Tees, the business has 16 other locations nationwide.
How’s business?
I am delighted to report that our UK business is exceptionally busy with no anticipated slowdown in demand. I am immensely proud of our entire team. Their commitment and dedication is driving a record year, in many respects.
What is your standout Covid-19 related memory or experience?
As you would imagine, there are many - good and bad. However, I have to say that I will reflect on 2020 with great pride, on how we have managed to navigate such a historic challenge, whilst protecting the physical, mental and financial well-being of the majority of our employees. At the height of the first lockdown, I took the opportunity to work with our amazing yard team in Sunderland, which helped me appreciate the demanding and professional job that they do, every day.
What legal or regulatory change would help your business or industry generally?
Getting Brexit done. The industry response to the pandemic and the true British Bulldog spirit have been really inspiring. It’s fantastic to see. However, the uncertainty of Brexit and now, clearly, the lack of ‘end game’ for the Covid-19 situation is hurting the short to medium term confidence of businesses and investors. Now more than ever, we need strong leadership and decisiveness.
If I gave you £5,000 to invest in your business, how would you spend it?
That’s easy. It would be invested to further drive engagement in our branches. Our Number One Golden Rule, as a business, is: ‘People are our most valuable asset’.
What about £50,000?
If someone gave our business £50,000 we would donate half of it to the Lighthouse Charity to support the amazing work that Bill Hill [its chief executive] and his team do for our sector. The other half would go to food banks across the country. This year has helped me reflect on life in general and it is a time to appreciate what you have got, rather than what you need next.
Who or what inspires you?
People who don’t give up.
What annoys/frustrates you?
Poor customer service and people who drive in the middle lane on an empty motorway – grrr!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
I have two: “Do not waste your energy on things that you cannot control,” and “If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room”.
What new skill would you like to learn?
Patience.
How do you relax after a hard day?
Spending time with my family and friends. My son moved into his own home just over a year ago and it’s still something that takes some getting used to, but it makes it all the sweeter when we catch up. I enjoy travelling, trying local delicacies, football and walking.
What was your favourite school subject?
It would have to be lunchtime – who doesn’t love a school dessert? I found biology and physics very interesting and it helped that the teachers in those subjects were very engaging.
If things had been different, what other career might you have chosen?
I always wanted to be in the police force. I did work experience in a law firm, as I briefly wanted to be a solicitor. However, after being asked to continuously read an endless number of books and documents for an entire week, it rapidly recalibrated my career aspirations.
Do you follow a particular sport and/or team?
I’m a long-time fan of Spennymoor United FC. I used to watch all their home games and travelled to away matches on the team bus when I was younger, which was such a laugh. I haven’t managed to get to many fixtures recently, but I do keep up-to-date with them online. I also support Sunderland, but I think we will leave that there…
What is the biggest challenge facing your business or the wider industry?
Keeping our team safe. It is the only thing that keeps me awake at night: the risk of Covid-19 across our UK network, coupled with the dangerous environment in which we operate. We undertake 80,000 heavy lifting deliveries and collections with our cranes every year. Due to our proactive approach to safety, we have not had an accident for almost 12 months now, which is the number one thing that the team and I are thankful for most.
And what’s the biggest opportunity?
Quite honestly, the sheer demand for our product. Our strategic plan is really coming to fruition as we continue to target new sectors and avenues. We are continually raising the bar in terms of what we thought was possible previously. It’s astonishing how versatile a container can be!
What’s the secret of success?
Our outstanding Mobile Mini family, delivering world class service.
Finally, is there anything you would like to add about the business, the current trading outlook or future plans?
Our work within our communities is really important to us. We donate hundreds of containers to registered charities every year. We are proud sponsors of the Lighthouse Charity and we have recently pledged to support as many families as we can with our Mobile Mini Meals campaign, which is generating food, essential items and cash donations across our entire branch network.
We have such an exciting future ahead of us. I have never worked with a more exciting leadership in my entire career. We have so many plans underway currently, to build on the transformational work that we have already executed in the last 12 months.
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