Victoria Brocklesby, COO at Origin, explains her progression to where she is today and why it is important for women in the construction industry and manufacturing to play their part
New research from the Women in Construction Summit reveals that only 11% of jobs in the construction industry are held by women. Â
From establishing Origin in 2002, Victoria has played an integral part in turning the company into the leading manufacturer it is today, which employs over 350 people and operates in Dubai, the US, and throughout Europe.Â
The birth of Origin
Having studied Physics and Space Science in Southampton, I could never have thought that I would immediately move into a role in manufacturing. I had imagined that I would find a desk job in the city, and I found myself working hands on with my family business instead.
We founded Origin in 2002 to fill a gap in the construction market. My father and uncle were in the indoor pool business and were regularly buying and installing bi-fold doors into these properties. They, alongside my cousin Neil, who was working with them at the time, found it almost impossible to find doors of a high standard in the UK, let alone to match the specifications required for the properties they were working on. Some also had lead times of six, eight, or even sixteen weeks, which was far from ideal. From there, the decision was made that we should manufacture our own to ensure that they were the best on the market for their customers. And from there, Origin was born!
Working in construction
I started out as the bookkeeper and sales manager, but that didn’t stop me being hands on with the products. There were so few of us in the beginning that I was always ready to help make the doors or unload a lorry. From there, I saw a real opportunity to grow our operations and established an accounts department from scratch to cope with demand. I did the same with HR, recruitment, and business operations and this allowed Origin to grow from strength to strength.
I went from admin manager to COO quickly as the company became of the UK’s biggest aluminium door manufacturers and now has a turnover of over £39 million, delivering around the world and employing hundreds of members of staff. But at the core of Origin will always be family and we will never let those standards drop.
If someone had told me I’d be where I am today, I’d have been very nervous to take that challenge on, but we have consistently made decisions to protect the growth of the business. One of the best decisions we made early on was bringing in Daniel Baker, who is now our Managing Director. This decision came just after the economic crash and we were inundated with orders and we were aware that the business needed a change in direction to cope with this demand.
These changes allowed the company to flourish as we all worked together to solve any issues that arose, although it was hard to let go at times, as I wanted to play a part in every way I could throughout the company. It became clear that this was not possible as the company continued to grow. I was managing people with much more experience and knowledge in their particular field than I had, but we pooled our knowledge to work together to ensure that Origin was the best it could be. We had a lot of fun along the way, and that continues to this day. We are sure that our Partners have stayed with us for so long as a result of this.
Giving back
Helping people was the highest priority for both of us when we founded Origin, and that is still our main goal now, for us and for our staff. We make time every day to speak to our staff and our customers, which is how we best ensure that our products and service remain the best on the market.
It was important to me in the early days that we knew our customers as well as we could and this remains our philosophy. Our staff know our Partners well, which goes hand in hand with our success. There is a rapport between us and our clients that continues throughout the business.
Knowing our staff is equally as important and we do everything we can to ensure this wherever possible. We have a personal responsibility to not only keep our staff safe at work, but also ensure that they feel secure in their roles. Many members of our staff also have families to support and we want to ensure that they can protect them from hardship. While having a nice office is always a bonus, we ensure that our staff feel valued and that their purpose is recognised, as they truly are what make Origin run so effectively.
We also make time for regular round tables, which involve staff from across the business, giving them the chance to speak directly to the management team, which they may not otherwise have access to. These people often know our customers and products the best so their thoughts and input ensures that we continue to produce the best products. My leadership style, which I have developed through experience, and a lot of reading, involves as much collaboration as possible. I am well aware that the Origin staff can teach me so much, and I can help them in return.
Greater diversity
I am so lucky to be able to say that being a female has never hindered my opportunities in life, but I am aware that this is not the case for everybody. We have created a diverse team, with brilliant men and women on our board of directors and I am sure that this gives us a competitive advantage. Everyone approaches situations in different ways and this allows us to decide the optimal solution by considering conservative and ambitious opinions.
Despite being one of the only women I knew working in construction when we started, I loved the buzz that came with producing a product from scratch and then seeing our products used around the world every day. I believe that it is important that more women are involved in this process in the future, but this is a difficult change to make. It is fiction that women can’t do the same roles as men, and therefore they can’t make the same money as men. The diverse leadership team at Origin shows how confident we are in the abilities of every member of our staff and we will continue to be part of the push for more women in construction.
From senior roles to skilled tradespersons, there is more demand than ever for women to be part of the construction sector and we will continue to be at the forefront of this. While I am lucky to have had this career path so far, I work with every
