As we wrap up the year, it’s time to look back on 2024 and set the stage for 2025. Explore our latest blog, where Tom Cornell, Bradbury Group’s CEO, reflects on this year’s achievements and outlines the vision for the year ahead.
I’m proud to share that Bradbury Group has had a successful year, driven by our commitment to creating bespoke solutions that keep people and our environment safe. This dedication has fueled an impressive 25% growth over the past two years.
2024 has been a year of transformation, with significant investments in quality and management capacity and capability. Our senior leadership team is nearly complete, with a few key additions still to come.
We are also enhancing our engineering capabilities and launching an exciting new product development programme for 2025. In addition, we have focused on strengthening our nationwide field sales team to foster deeper, more collaborative partnerships with our customers.
It’s been another fantastic year supporting our nine YES (Youth Engineering Scunthorpe) apprentices, who have made great strides in developing their engineering and manufacturing skills across the business. We’re incredibly proud that all of them are staying with us, armed with their new qualifications.
It has also been a year whereby our new values have been brought to life.
The biggest thing is that the Bradbury team is genuinely passionate about succeeding and getting things right for our customers. We’re not perfect, but we own our mistakes. Passion also means always striving to improve and taking pride in what we do. We’re all about being customer-focused, keeping our teams energised every day, and tackling every challenge with positivity and enthusiasm.
Fairness is all about how we treat our employees and customers. The biggest change we’ve made is shifting from assigning blame when problems arise to simply focusing on solving them quickly and treating customers fairly. We’re committed to equality and respect, while embracing diversity and creating an inclusive, dignified environment for everyone.
We endeavour to be a reliable trusted supplier of doors provided at the right location at the right time. As BRAD – our new self-service online configuration tool – becomes fully embedded, we know it will be an incredibly valuable asset. Trust also means empowering and caring for others, being transparent in our actions, and consistently keeping our promises. We prioritise looking after each other and our customers, fostering autonomy, respecting confidentiality, and believing in the potential of others.
One key lesson I have learnt this year has been the importance of sustainability in construction. Our first step was launching EcoLeaf, the UK’s first low-carbon security-rated doors, with a 58% smaller carbon footprint than traditional steel doors. It’s already generating significant interest, and we’re now developing a broader sustainability strategy. Innovation for us means thinking outside the box, challenging norms, and delivering better solutions, while embracing fresh ideas to drive progress.
On a personal level, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of what truly matters to our customers: exceptional service and timely delivery of doors. While we’ve made progress, there’s still much work to be done, particularly in developing more efficient logistical solutions and improving communication with our customers.
As I reflect on our accomplishments – like our launches at London Build, the lessons learned from meeting with numerous customers, visiting the new Google building at Kings Cross to witness the direct impact of our work, and traveling abroad to explore export opportunities – I am incredibly proud and humbled to lead such a fantastic organisation.
With all best wishes for 2025.
Tom
