In the Driving Seat: Steve Williams, Managing Director, Performance Springs Ltd, and NAA Board Member
Steve Williams sounds like he’s desperate to kick his kids out of his house and set off on a European road trip in an E-Type Jag.
Name
Steve Williams
Company
Performance Springs Ltd
Position
MD
Apart from that
NAA Board Member
Director and VP of the Institute of Spring Technology
Association with NAA
I have worked with the NAA since 2004/5 when I first met Alan Manning whilst working on one of our earlier failed lean initiatives. He gave me a great insight into routes to funding and working with the right people which transformed our regular flops into a continuous and sustainable program.
We have obtained TS16949 and ISO14001 through NAA assisted funding including working with Business Excellence. We have also shared stands at numerous NAA/UKTI organised international exhibitions with other NAA members. I talked too much at a brainstorming session in 2009 and Neil Barlow asked me if I would join the board.
We also have achieved the NAA Awards of “Company of the Year” 2012 and 2006 and also “Trade Company of the Year” 2012, which I and the team are quietly very proud of.
I am currently looking forward to putting in a bid with Carol and the NAA for Training funding from the Employer Ownership Training Pilot to hopefully extend the training arm of the successful Business Excellence model.
Personal
Married with 4 kids older than 16 years (will they ever leave home?!).
I spent so much time in the early years setting up Performance that the business was my main hobby too. However after 10 years of hard graft I started to pick up on many of the things I was interested in at an earlier age including amongst other things classic cars, sailing – cruising and racing, steam boating and local history
Favourite football team
Man U but only because my Dad used to drag me along to the matches and sit me on his shoulders when I was two years old.
Musical performer
Coldplay, Keane, Snow Patrol, Muse and all things Indie
Movie
Lord of the Rings – the trilogy
Books
Anything factual. The wife hates my library collection – antiquarian to modern in subjects ranging from leadership, science, economics and history.
Best motoring moment
Imaginary – driving through Europe in an E-type Series 1 hardtop. I bought a restoration project in 1993 on this promise to my long-suffering wife, instead of a nice Volvo 7-seater family estate. She hasn’t forgotten!! We are getting closer but this year’s promise has been postponed again to next year!
Best business advice you’ve ever received?:
Believe in your instincts
