Ambitious Plans for Sustainable Growth – An Interview with Trail Group’s Managing Director

In this article, we interview Jon Crosby, Managing Director of Trail Group, and look at the business’s plans for strategic growth.

What has been your professional journey before joining Trail Group?

I started my career with Wimpey Engineering & Construction, which later became Carillion. I joined their trainee programme which gave me the unique opportunity to explore different aspects of contracting. I chose to specialise in the commercial side of construction and achieved a BSc(hons) in Quantity Surveying.

After 11 years with Wimpey/Carillion, I joined Mansells for five years and worked for a number of other tier one and regional contractors including Kier, ISG and Gallagher Group in managing QS and senior commercial roles and on projects in the education, residential, healthcare and commercial sectors.

What attracted you to Trail Group?

I joined Trail Group in 2023 as Commercial Director and was appointed Managing Director this year. The business is an SME with a strong family ethos which really appealed to me after working for major construction businesses for the past 25 years.

Trail Group has significant growth potential and a strong trajectory

Trail Group has significant growth potential and strong trajectory which appealed to me.

The business already has a strong presence and track record in healthcare and in the residential sector – working with both major private landlords and social housing providers.

There are clear opportunities for Trail Group to expand into the education sector (schools and colleges), commercial (particularly offices in central London), retail and other sub-sectors of residential such as care homes and student accommodation.

The legislative environment is changing, and all organisations and businesses need to regularly assess, enhance and protect their building assets. We are really well placed to help with that, particularly relating to fire safety.

What are your main responsibilities and objectives for the business?

I am responsible for leading the overall strategic development of the business. This includes developing the Group’s vision, direction and plans for the next five years and beyond. I have taken responsibility for financial reporting and defining the service offer to meet the needs of both new and existing customers. I am also reviewing operational processes, service standards and risk management profiling.

Trail Group is known for its fire safety specialism. How does this division fit within the Group’s strategy?

Fire protection remains our largest division and following the acquisition of Palladium Fire and Safety last year, we can now deliver a full range of both active and passive fire safety services for our clients from a single source.

This is a powerful offer in this sector. We also have a separate team who carry out inspections and risk assessments.

Fire protection remains our largest division

We offer other building services which complement our fire safety services very well, including electrical contracting and a Construction Division which undertakes refurbishments, building upgrades and extensions up to the value of around ￡3m. These projects all have a need for fire protection.

What are the Group’s strategic priorities?

I have just completed a comprehensive review of all our systems and procedures to give us a strong foundation and to allocate the resources for sustainable growth. This has included a restructuring of the business to set up a number of workstreams.

We are investing in a training programme for all staff across the business, which includes our fire engineers and technicians, to give them the skills needed to achieve their full potential. We strongly believe in empowering staff and in growing our own talent. This is reflected in how we have set up our new workstreams.

It is vital we invest in our workforce to help address skills shortages

Skills shortages remain a significant issue in our sector – in both fire safety and in the wider construction and FM industries – so it is vital we invest in our workforce through proactive training programmes and in continuing professional development. ?

Last year we opened a Training Academy at our headquarters in Kent. This facility allows us to upskill our team members particularly with changing legislation and requirements for compliance.

All our installers and engineers go through a robust training programme and as well as running workshops and seminars, we have the facility inhouse to assess their practical skills, such as the installation of fire doors.

What is your approach to leadership of the Group?

Our focus is very much on our clients, and I firmly believe that approach will facilitate our sustainable growth.

I will have a more direct interface with clients to strengthen those relationships and to help us to continually improve everything we do. It is vital we remain agile as we grow in order to deliver the service levels and range of services that our customers require at every stage.

Our staff training programme is fundamental to this. The second phase of our Training Academy will be to roll out fire prevention workshops to clients to help improve their knowledge base and fire protection measures for their buildings and facilities.

Risk management and regulatory compliance are critical issues in the fire safety sector.

What new practices or technologies are you considering to enhance Trail’s services in this area?

Active fire technology – fire alarms and advanced fire suppression systems, for example the move away from using gas cylinders for fire suppression, are significant growth areas for Trail Group. Similarly with electrical services, which are needed for certain types of fire protection such as fire alarms.

Our strategic acquisition of the Palladium Fire and Safety business has allowed us to expand into active fire protection and to offer an even wider range of fire safety services from a single source. This simply makes the process of compliance easier for our clients.

What are Trail’s growth plans?

To achieve sustained growth, it is important we continually balance our resources with the right clients.? To that end, we have developed a clear strategy for tendering to ensure the type of work and clients we bid for are in line with our vision and growth plan.

Our aim is to develop a diverse customer base and long-term collaborative relationships.

We already have a strong and loyal client base, many of whom have worked with Trail Group for a number of years. We remain committed to maintaining this high level of repeat business and to offering all our clients a diverse range of services to help them maintain their building assets and in full compliance with the changing legislative landscape.

Our aim is to achieve ￡25m turnover by 2030 with steady year-on-year growth.

Where do you see Trail Group in the next five years?

Our aim is to achieve ￡25m turnover by 2030 with steady year-on-year growth.

I am pleased to report that we are on track to have a record year this financial year.

We are a market leading multi-disciplinary service provider to the built environment, giving our clients the benefit of a full turnkey service and with fire safety remaining central to everything we do and with a personal service and ethos that is unrivalled in our sector.

Find out more here - www.trailgroup.co.uk.