Having already played an integral role in Worsley Plant Ltd’s development over the years, Adrian Nixon is now keen to take the company to even greater heights after acquiring the business and becoming Managing Director.
“Sean Heron, who formed the company in 1996, agreed to initiate the acquisition process in 2021 to ensure a seamless transition and continued growth for the business,” explains Adrian, whose own involvement in Worsley Plant spans over 20 years. “The acquisition has now been completed with Sean remaining involved as a mentor and Sales Director, so he will continue to assist us through the next phase of our development.”
For his own part, Adrian has carried out various roles during his time at Worsley Plant, in the process gaining invaluable insight into how the company operates and functions, as he outlines: “After a decade of working in the agricultural sector, I wanted a new challenge within the construction industry so joined Worsley Plant in 2005, where I maintained mobile equipment, such as crushers, screens and excavators. I started out as a Field Service Manager before becoming an Aftersales Manager in 2008.”
Having demonstrated a flair for building strong customer relationships and honing his technical expertise, Adrian’s leadership credentials also came to the fore after becoming General Manager in 2011. This enabled him to oversee operations and contribute to strategic growth initiatives.
Adrian’s involvement in Worsley Plant took a significant step forward in 2017 when he not only became a shareholder, but commenced the role of Operations Director, successfully managing the daily operations of a 25-strong team of professionals to deliver innovative solutions for the demolition, recycling and plant sectors. His commitment to customer satisfaction and product development helped solidify the company’s reputation in a competitive marketplace.
Having now become Managing Director and owner, Adrian is poised to lead Worsley Plant into a new era, focusing on the sale of excavator attachments and enhancing the company’s offerings in crushing and screening solutions. His strategic approach aims to strengthen the company’s position in a challenging industry, while continuing to foster ever closer relationships with customers and suppliers at all levels.
“We are thrilled about this new chapter for Worsley Plant,” adds Adrian. “I am committed to building on the strong foundation laid by Sean and the team, and I look forward to driving growth and innovation in our industry. We will be exploring new products and expanding our customer outreach initiatives.
“Building our relationships with suppliers is also going to be crucial. For instance, we have had a 20-year link with MB Crushers, which are a worldwide manufacturer. We also have relationships with the likes of Dynaset, Rotar, Remu, Montabert, Oilquick and Lehnhoff to source the best products available.”
Keeping things in the family, Adrian’s wife Hazell has also been involved in Worsley Plant for 20 years and recently became a director and joint owner.
With the stars having come into alignment with the circumstances regarding the change of ownership, Adrian is now looking forward with confidence: “It took a fair amount of planning and a bit of legwork but we’re now in a great position to move forward and build on the progression we’ve seen in recent years. We’ve doubled the turnover of the business in the last five years and have a growing range of attachments thanks to our suppliers.
“Throughout my time at Worsley Plant the emphasis has been primarily on customer support. In my experience, a good sales approach will help sell you the first product to a client but the aftersales service you provide is what helps guarantee the second purchase and every subsequent one afterwards.”
This emphasis on service has ensured that Worsley Plant has been able to make the most of the opportunities it is currently seeing within the marketplace. “We continue to be very busy. Throughout last year we expected to experience something of a lull at some point, but we continued to turn out consistent figures month after month. We now enjoy a strong presence within the marketplace, and we have some excellent loyal customers. Thanks to our strong stock levels, despite some challenges regarding availability, and the support we receive from suppliers, this ensures that we’re able to meet the demand.
“Having good links with our supply chain is vital, and we’re always careful not to dilute it too much, so we remain dedicated to the main ones that we work with. There are always going to be hurdles to contend with along the way, but it’s very much like a marriage: you’ve got to be prepared to work at it in order to get the rewards in the end.
“In terms of our customer base, the majority are based in demolition, as they’re probably the easiest adapter of our kit. Our materials handling expertise, meanwhile, is also a huge benefit within the waste recycling industry, as well as in the construction and groundworks markets generally. We have good options for anyone that wants to crush and process materials onsite.”
With a growing customer base due to the strength of its offering, the aim now for Worsley Plant is to keep ensuring that the foundations remain in place to support its continued expansion. “One of our main objectives is to keep building the team, both by developing our existing staff and by adding new recruits. We’ve taken on two sales employees in the last six months or so, so we’ve got over 20 staff now. We’re not looking to add or change anything too drastically, we just want to keep doing what we’re doing and improving where we can.
“There’s always going to be challenges ahead but we’re committed to staying at the top of the industry and bringing through new products into the marketplace. We attend all the major exhibitions, so we have a good grasp of the latest cutting-edge technology. We’ve also got one eye on the electric changeover, which will become an increasingly important issue in the next few years as the industry moves further away from diesel power. The more common electric machines become, the more efficient the attachments will have to be, so this is something we’re taking a proactive approach to.”
While it may be change at the top for Worsley Plant, all the indications are that the company remains very much in safe hands with the business set to continuing flourishing under Adrian’s stewardship by delivering a consistently high-quality service to its customers.