The Need for Speed

Steve Bell speaks with ELEVATOR WORLD UK about his current role and extensive 30-year career history with Terry Lifts.

“It’s far too easy to take what we have for granted,” says Steve Bell, director of Installations, Training and Product Co-ordination for Cheshire-based lift manufacturer and supplier Terry Lifts, as he reflects on the impact his role has on end users. “Sometimes we are installing lifts for people who may not have accessed a bedroom or even their own property in years, so to see the result and the difference we make is priceless.”

Good First Impression

Steve first joined Terry Lifts at age 17 as a factory operative after his brother’s friend, who already worked in production, said Terry were looking for factory staff. Steve said: 

“My mum insisted on giving me a lift to the interview, as she wouldn’t let me turn up on my motorbike. She said it would give a bad impression! It obviously worked, as I started the following week.”

Steve has a passion for motorbikes. After finishing secondary school, it was obvious he needed to earn money to fuel this fascination! “I worked at a local factory in packaging but soon realised that it wasn’t for me, so I enrolled at Mid-Cheshire College on a motor mechanics course, planning to pursue that as a career,” he said. 

Always hands-on, Steve spent his spare time fixing cars and motorbikes on the drive alongside his dad, while his grandad made and repaired things in the garage. An office job was never on the agenda.

The factory job at Terry Lifts was the steppingstone that Steve was looking for. He said: 

“After some basic training, I worked primarily on the Harmony [an enduring and popular through-floor home lift] section, building slings. As the new kid, I had the added responsibility of making tea and coffee for all the production staff three times a day; cleaning the toilets and factory floor; and any other duties requested by the management.”

“I Loved Every Second.”

After 12 months in the factory, Steve had ambitions and applied for an installation assistant role and quickly discovered he had something to prove. He said: 

“Although I was already considered an asset to the business, I remember my manager at the time saying I wasn’t big or strong enough to do the installation role. To be fair to him, I only weighed about six stone wet-through at the time! However, after being given the opportunity, I proved I had what it took, and I loved every second. I’ve never looked back.”

This role saw Steve travel all over the country. “I met different people and visited new places. It was just what I wanted, and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said. “At the time, I also assisted the builder with the groundworks, and between us, we would prepare the site and fit the lift.” It was then that Steve really developed his skills, and he was soon installing and commissioning external lifts himself.  

Period of Promotions

In 1997, Steve was promoted to installer. He said: 

“I installed and maintained the Harmony home lift, the pneumatic step lifts and the screw drive Melody 2 lift, all of which were fantastic products. In fact, I still attend some of the lifts I installed, which is testament to the reliability and longevity of our products.”

After many years in a mixed installation and maintenance role, Steve then became a full-time service and repair engineer.  “Although a demanding role with long hours and again, covering most of the U.K., this was a very rewarding role and one that I miss,” he said.

Success led to Steve being promoted to supervisor. Training formed part of this role and saw Steve travel around the U.K. and across Europe and the U.S. assisting and training Terry Lifts agents to install and maintain the lifts. “I met some great people and made many good friends at this time, some of whom I am still in touch with today,” he said.

As Terry Lifts grew and the business developed further, the installation and service team needed a full-time manager, to which Steve was promoted. He maintained his training responsibilities and supported the design team and engineers with product development.

Product development accounts for one of Steve’s proudest moments. “There have been countless rewarding times over the years, but if I had to name one, it would be my involvement in the inception of the Harmony FE through-floor home lift in 2019,” he said.

Around this time Steve was also promoted to his current role, “The managing director couldn’t have come up with a longer job title if he tried!” he said. Primarily, Steve is now responsible for the installation, service and repair process from start to finish, and is supported by office-based and field service staff. He added:

“Managing the installers and service engineers is very satisfying. There’s not a lot I haven’t experienced over the years, and so I am always on-hand to help resolve issues and offer guidance.”  

Steve also manages the company’s training needs and ongoing assessments for the large number of U.K. and export agents, along with technical support as and when required. 

The design team also draw on Steve’s extensive experience. “My experience plays a significant part in assisting with the development of the products — from customer requirements to what can be installed and maintained in an efficient and safe way,” he said.

U.K. Lift Industry

Thirty years’ experience also affords Steve a unique perspective of the U.K. lift industry. He explained: 

“The industry has changed significantly in that time — for the better. It’s most apparent in health and safety. Obviously, this is paramount for any business but more so in this industry, given we are installing lifts in people’s homes and dealing with many vulnerable and elderly individuals. I am pleased that safety systems on products and safe working processes have improved dramatically, industry wide.”

Terry Lifts emphasises the importance of design in safety features and processes, most notably for fire and smoke protection. Its through-floor home lifts demonstrate full compliance with BS 5900: 2012, as well as compliance with the Machinery Directive and Building Regulations. The Harmony home lift, for example, maintains 30-min fire and smoke integrity between the two floors whether it is parked upstairs or downstairs.  

Further Growth

So, what’s next for Terry Lifts? Steve said: 

“We have an unblemished reputation in the industry for the design and manufacture of quality products and the service we provide. We will continue to grow year-on-year, with more agents coming on board and local authority contracts being awarded. We continue to invest in all areas of the business and remain committed to our programme of continuous improvement. We are always looking to improve our products and, from my point of view, make them easier to install and maintain.

“We have an extremely experienced senior management team, supported by the directors; together, along with every single employee, we aim to not only develop the business further but continue to provide the safest, compliant, reliable, robust and most aesthetically pleasing range of lifts in the market.

“The future is exciting for Terry Lifts, and I am incredibly proud to still be playing my part. I am grateful to our chairman, Peter, and his wife, Sarah, along with our managing director, Dave Allen, for their ongoing support and the opportunities they have given me over the past 30 years.”  

Remembering Mrs. Mason

While Steve feels privileged to have helped every customer he’s encountered in his three decades, there’s one particularly memorable individual — Mrs. Mason from Staffordshire. He said:

“Mr. and Mrs. Mason had purchased two home lifts and two external platform lifts from us over the years, and I installed and maintained all four. They were both very likeable characters, and we built up quite a rapport; they would always ask that I attend. The other reason they stick in my mind is the fact that Mrs. Mason was renowned locally for having a pet sheep which she kept in the back garden. Stories about this sheep still make me and several colleagues chuckle today.”

Apprenticeship for Eldest Son, Sam

As Steve celebrates 30 years with Terry Lifts and Chairman Peter Morrey enters his 51st year at the helm, the company is very aware of encouraging and inspiring the next generation of lift designers, installers and engineers. A robust apprentice programme run in partnership with local education providers has enabled many young apprentices to graduate in a variety of areas, including engineering and finance. This September will be especially poignant for Steve as his eldest son, Sam, will start his apprenticeship at Terry Lifts. Surely, there’s no greater endorsement for a parent or business.