SME News - Managing Director of the Year Awards 2024/ 62 Most Innovative Design & Engineering MD 2024 (Surrey): Mike Thornton Based in Surrey, SFH Maintenance Limited is a family run confined space maintenance and steel installation company. We find out more about the firm and its core values as we speak to MD Mike Thornton who recently gained notable recognition in the 2024 Managing Director of the Year Awards. With more than 14 years’ worth of experience in high quality products and installs for customers, esteemed maintenance company SFH Maintenance Limited (SFH Maintenance) makes safe working practises a priority as standard. Consequently, the firm has developed brilliant customer relations with councils and other well-established businesses over the last decade. “Being a family run business is what drives SFH Maintenance forward,” explains Mike Thornton, the firm’s Managing Director. “We have five employees in the business and all are related to me. The company took on two new members of staff last year to assist with the administration, social media and planning side of the company, as that side of the business has grown exponentially over the last few years.” The business mainly serves larger companies and councils in the construction industry, such as FM Conway, SGN, London Borough of Camden, and City of London, but most recently they have worked with Tideway and the Environment Agency. Their services range from carrying out small works, such as remedial fixes including handrails, access covers and pipe subway maintenance cleans in confined space settings in pipe subway tunnels, to larger works such as removing and re-installing large access covers. Mike started off in the industry with Technocover as an Area Sales Director. During this time, he worked closely with the cofounders from 1996 to 2002 in Welshpool and it was here that he learned the importance of defending vital assets in the UK through physical security access products. Following this, Mike had a stint at Steelway Brickhouse as Sales Director, set up his own company on the back of this success providing security products for London Boroughs and water utilities, and then returned to Steelway Brickhouse on a consultancy basis whilst setting up SFH Maintenance Ltd in 2010. “Having started out with SFH as only one employee (myself) it's now a pleasure to watch emails from my members of staff nearly 14 years later going backwards and forwards to clients,” Mike enthuses. “I have nurtured my team to have their own specific areas of knowledge and expertise. To be a successful Managing Director is all about delegating responsibility and encouraging your team to carry out their works to a manner that suits them.” As well as having trustworthy team members, Mike tells us that being situated close to London and the southeast is of particular benefit to SFH Maintenance. “We can all commute either by train or vehicle to London within an hour and we employ bona fide subcontractors from around London who can simply pop on the tube and meet us at the works site. Another benefit about the south east is the change in scenery, commuting out of London to the south east can be a joy after a long hard day in the city. To come home to hear bird songs and walk amongst the greenery is special!” Recently, for his hard work and dedication to the industry over the years, Mike gained notable recognition in the Managing Director of the Year Awards and was rewarded with the title of Most Innovative Design & Engineering MD 2024 (Surrey). With regards to the future, SFH Maintenance is working within the utility industry to complete the Gatic Framework Programme - a 5-year programme to replace existing Gatic covers with new sprung loaded SR3 rated access covers. On completion, it will be another area of expertise that the firm can offer to its loyal customer base. Contact: Mike Thornton Company: SFH Maintenance Limited Email: [email protected]
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