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Celebrating 35 Years at HF.

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With such a rich history and family culture stretching back over three centuries, we are immensely proud of what we have accomplished as a business.

And it is far from an exaggeration to say that we could not have done it without the people who have worked for us over the years. As a family run company we have so many fantastic examples of employee loyalty and success within the company with many members of the family having hit some very impressive milestones at HF.

And today we are delighted to add yet another name to that list as Eric Bowie (no relation to David) hits the milestone of THIRTY FIVE YEARS as a member of HF.

35 years at HF

Eric is our Financial Controller and is heavily involved in tracking invoices, handling salaries and so much more.

To mark hitting such an impressive anniversary, we wanted to ask Eric some questions about his time at the company and the things that have changed over the last three and a half decades here.

So Eric, in your time at the company, do you have any favourite moments?

HF has come a long way since I first started working here. Many people forget that HF was not the same large company that it is today. When I first started working here in 1987 it was a lot smaller, we only had one van in the Glasgow branch. Now we have well over one hundred.

Being a part of the company as it has gone through so much change and growth has been something of immense pride for me. But my absolute favourite moment was when we first hit the £6 million barrier.

Breaking that marker was a big thing back then and being part of it and sharing the excitement when it happened was great. Now of course, the company has grown so much with our Telecommunications division HF Comms and Automated Controls Divisions HF Controls that it makes that number seem somewhat smaller. These days we are closer to the £40 million mark but back then, it was a big deal and I was part of it.

What do you see as your biggest accomplishment in your 35 years here?

Surviving 35 years!!! In all seriousness, it is the growth of the business and being a part of that. Of the 300+ people who currently work at HF, more than half of them were born AFTER I started working here. I have been able to work with so many fantastic people in my time here and helping the company to grow in the way it has has been a big accomplishment and source of pride for me.

What do you like most about working at HF?

It is the challenge of handling all the numbers and variables that come with a company that has so many divisions and services. The tagline ‘A Company Well Connected’ sometimes doesn’t do justice to how much we can do. When a project has been completed that uses Electrical, Mechanical and Fire & Security services, being part of the solution to ironing out all the variables and processing the numbers is incredibly satisfying and is something that never gets old for me.

Having seen it first hand, how has the work dynamic and work ethic changed at HF over the years?

There are understandably different groups within the office so I liaise with the people around me and those in a similar role, and together, we have always had great humour in the office. Collectively, whether it is electricians, mechanical engineers, comms designers etc, there is a total understanding amongst everyone about the job at hand and how to work together to get things done. Not every project is straight forward and when things do go wrong on a project, watching everyone band together to deliver the result is something impressive to see.

What lessons would you pass onto those thinking of a similar career path?

Technology has changed the landscape so much over the years and as good as the software is, technology can fail you. So having real world, hands on experience is crucial.

When I first started here, the way we processed payments simply doesn’t exist anymore but having the experience of the entire process and not being afraid to get stuck in and help others has stood me in good stead when technology has let us down. It is something I would always advise others to thing about. If the technologoy stopped working for just a day, how would you be able to do your job and could you do it?

Thanks Eric


 

a company well connected

Faced with today’s business challenges – recessions, pandemics, takeovers and mergers, the family ethos behind HF and the family continuity at management level which is rarely seen is just a part of our recipe for success. The likes of Eric and their experience, skill and loyalty are big parts of the HF success story and long may that recipe continue.

Employees working at HF get to work across a variety of business sectors in exciting, ground-breaking projects.  We make sure that new members who join the HF family join us with a clearly defined development path that is supported by regular reviews, training and ongoing support from our senior level management team.

From the fast paced environment of exciting new telecommunication projects to the diverse and varying workload in the electrical sector, they get to be part of a multi-disciplinary team where, just like Eric, we consider you to be a part of the family and an invaluable assets to our ongoing success.

If that sounds like you then we want to hear more about you. We are always in the market for enthusiastic workers and talented individuals who can deliver and that we can rely on to help further the HF story. If you are looking for something more than just a job, why not get in touch…

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