Hugely successful ADI Group was established in 1990 by Alan Lusty, comprising a single business offering: ADI Electrical.
In the two decades that have followed, ADI has grown exponentially with an annual turnover of circa £50 million and across 15 limited companies.
Completely self-funded, and self-invested, the business continues to grow and in 2012 a cool £1 million was invested in a brand new head office facility in Kings Norton, Birmingham.
The premises offer 25,000 sq ft of space with separate mechanical and panel design and build workshops across the site – ensuring customer demands are met and enabling the business to continue to grow and prosper.
The business now offers total engineering solutions including electrical and mechanical designs, build and maintenance, control panel design, climate control and building intelligence services as well as interior fit outs and FM contracts.
What’s more the remit is extensive and covers a multitude of market sectors for food and beverage through to automotive, aerospace and pharmaceutical.
Perhaps however one of the greatest strings to its bow is the ability to utilise the capabilities of several business units, from a single point of contact.
“That is quite unusual for this market sector” says James Sopwith, group sales & marketing director.
“The key to our business growth is creating simplicity for our customers while executing complex engineering solutions.
“We can pool our resources within the group to offer a total engineered solution – something many of our competitors are unable to do.”
This is perhaps why the business has tripled in size since 2008, when for much of the UK economy; it was a period of austerity.
So perhaps this is a marker of this Birmingham firm’s success; expanding the business through opportunity and referral rather than acquisition?
“We grow by importing talent” said Mr Sopwith. “Each and every one of our fifteen businesses began as start-ups and we invested our own funds and developed it from there. We don’t buy ready-made companies; we evolve our business by focusing on our talent and listening to the needs of our customers and the marketplace.”
The business operates a five-year business programme called ‘Targeting success’ which not only incorporates the company values but also drives business improvement throughout ADI Group and beyond.
As the business continues to grow however, it certainly won’t forget its roots and has a strong belief in local jobs for local people and in giving back to the community in which it is based.
The company is already part of the nationwide Business in the Community (BITC) initiative and also works closely with local homeless people.
One admirable approach is where the business employs individuals from a deprived or homeless background and gives them a business placement.
Mr Sopwith said: “Work with the homeless is an issue close to our hearts and not only provides candidates with greater confidence but also increases their employability – some individuals have gone on to gain permanent positions within the business.”
More recently, the business has developed a working relationship with North Bromsgrove school and also has an on-going association with Aston University Engineering Academy to help encourage young people into a future career in engineering.
“A skills shortage is an increasing area of concern for many businesses within the engineering sector,” said Mr Sopwith.
“Which is why we have an apprenticeship programme, to encourage and inspire more young people to enter into the sector.”
As the business continues to grow, adi Group seems well placed to help inspire future generations from across the region and beyond, not only within the engineering sector but also from a business development perspective.
With plans to develop a new division every 18 months, it’s certainly one to watch.
n adi Group offers total engineering solutions, almost exclusively to UK manufacturing blue chips. Engineering services offered include electrical and mechanical design, build and maintenance, control panel design, build, installation and software support, climate control systems, building intelligence services, interior fit out works, FM contracts and core maintenance, environmental and energy services and water pollution containment services.
Customer sectors span food and beverage through automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and defence and the company undertakes an average of 2,000 engineering projects a year, varying in size and value.
