Congratulations on 30 years as part of the HF Family

Just past half way through the first month of 2024, we need to turn the clock back 30 years to celebrate an important work anniversary.

At HF, we put people first.  We are at our strongest and most effective when we respect, value and collaborate together. That is one of our core values and that family culture means much more to us than dates and numbers.  It is quite literally the core of our business.

But there are times when dates and numbers do matter and today is one of them. Because 30 years ago today, Melanie Higgs first walked through the doors of HF and became a part of the family.

1994

Having joined HF originally in a role that was supposed to be as an Admin Assistant, Mel was strangely only in this role for two weeks before her skills were quickly recognised as being far more beneficial elsewhere within the company. So within a fortnight of joining HF, she had already graduated to become our Stores Assistant in the Glasgow branch.  This of course was the same year that HF Controls Ltd was formed and the HF brand was at the beginning of an exciting spell of growth that would soon see more expansion and new companies and branches form across the UK.

Mel quickly cemented herself as an invaluable member of the team and within a few years, when our existing stores manager left, it was an easy decision to promote her into the vacant position to become our new Stores Manager.

2005

In 2005, the next big step in Melanie’s HF career came when she was asked to take on the role of Admin Manager for the Glasgow office. After being with us for 11 years, Mel was finally working in the office that she originally thought she would be in when she joined us in 1994. Within two years of starting in this new position, HF Group Ltd was formed to allow the individual companies within HF to continue to trade under their own identity. Mechanical and Fire & Security Divisions had already started as part of HF Electrical Ltd which meant that her role as Admin Manager dealt with not just what was happening with HF Electrical Ltd but also that of HF Controls Ltd and HF Comms Ltd (which was created in 1999).

2019

As the HF Group grew and developed, it became clear that we needed to have our own inhouse HR position to better manage the sheer number of people working for HF. Having been so heavily involved in the management of our office and on-site engineers, handling everything from payroll to ensuring compliance with labour laws and regulations, it was a no brainer for Mel to graduate once more to become our first ever HR Manager.  Within less than a year of starting in the new position however, she had the unenviable task of having to deal with the sheer chaos of Covid-19, furlough schemes and remote working.

Managing well over 300 people working in branches nationwide, Mel’s importance to the company is not limited to her role as HR Manager. She is also a member of our Social Committee and helps to organise office events, charity fundraising days, nights out and even competitions for our engineers across the UK. And when there is an event being run, you can bet that Mel will be right in the thick of it. For so many people within the company, Mel means a lot.

So you can see why, on this occasion, dates and numbers are important for us.  Melanie is a vital part of our ongoing success at HF and is a great example of yet another individual who has joined the HF family and turned a job into a career that has now spanned three decades. She has been with us through so many of our biggest successes and as we continue to grow, we look forward to her being a part of so many more still to come.

We have always made the promise to those that join the HF family that working for us is a lot more than just a job, it is a career. And Mel is another perfect example of this. Someone who first started out as an Admin Assistant, grew and advanced with the company, embracing unique challenges, a varied workload and great career progression opportunities to become our HR Manager. It isn’t always easy and there is necessary training required along the way, but we always ensure we give our team every opportunity we can to grow with us.

As a collection of individual companies all operating under the HF brand, we are always looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals who want to take the next step in their career with a solid foundation and real scope to grow in the company.

If you would like to know more about what it is like to work at HF and our current career opportunities within the company, please click here

We want to say a massive congratulations to Melanie for hitting thirty years as part of the HF family and a huge thank you for everything you do for us day in, day out.