Back Where He Started

Your author (LF) talks shop with Terry Lifts’ national sales manager.

Steve Hill’s (SH) career began with Terry Lifts in 1988. After leaving in 2003, Hill returned to Terry Lifts in 2020 as national sales manager after working at Stannah for 13 years. As he’s had some time now to get settled in, Hill talked with ELEVATOR WORLD UK about his background and accomplishments, various aspects of the lift industry and the U.K. market and his future plans, both personally and professionally.

LF: When you were little, who did you want to be when you grew up, and why?

SH: When I was little, I wanted to be just like my dad. He was a builder, and was forever saying, “You don’t want hands like these.” He’d often say, “You don’t want to be a builder like me. You should be the person who tells builders what to do!” In many ways, that’s exactly what I do now.

It’s very humbling to know that what you do each day has the power to transform someone’s life. And it makes it even more rewarding when they get in touch to let us know. Customer satisfaction is one of the main reasons why I do the job I do, and nothing beats sharing that positivity with the team.

LF: What attracted you to the lift industry, and how did you get your foot in the door?

SH: My journey into the lift industry was a happy accident.  Originally, at college, I wanted to be an electronics design engineer, but it wasn’t as interesting as I’d expected, and so when I spotted the trainee draftsman job at Terry Lifts, which was more mechanical than electrical, this really appealed.

I could hear my dad saying, “You should apply,” so I just went for it. I was very good at technical drawings and illustrations; that was my best skill, so the role suited me down to the ground.

Later in my career, I was attracted to field sales. I relished the opportunity to design and survey sites and loved the idea of meeting customers and helping people to get the correct solution. I could also apply my skills as a draftsman to produce drawings for the builders. That brought me to a position of being a manager and then on to my current role as national sales manager. 

LF: Thinking about how the industry has changed over the course of your career, is the industry getting better or worse? Why?

SH: The quality and speed of communication is all for the better. Everything is instant. You can turn a quote around and process documents quickly. We have more solutions available now, too, due to advances in design and technology. It’s moved on leaps and bounds. Access to funding has improved through government schemes. There’s also a greater awareness of disabilities and solutions for disabled people. The inception of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) helped with this and had a massive impact on the industry. Its incorporation into Approved Document M has changed the way we design public buildings. 

LF: If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be, and why?

SH: I think it should be a level playing field. The industry should all work to the same standards. Standards that Building Regulations should insist upon, most notably British Standard BS 5900 for through-floor lifts and BS 6440 for platform lifts. If companies don’t comply, it’s an unfair market. It also compromises the safety of our customers, and that’s extremely concerning. I would make BS compliance a legal requirement for safety’s sake.

LF: You returned to Terry Lifts in 2020 after 13 years with Stannah. What did you learn during that time, and how has it influenced your approach today?

SH: I gained exposure to the market, giving me a broader understanding of the local authority and private sector. This was largely due to the scale of Stannah’s global operation and the contacts and networking opportunities this created. They were also very keen on training, and I was fortunate to achieve my diploma in front line management whilst working at Stannah. This experience, coupled with my corporate knowledge, has been extremely useful since returning to Terry Lifts.

LF: What makes the U.K. market different from other markets?

SH: We are very fortunate that social services, councils, etc., have access to funding through the DFG — Disabled Facilities Grant — something which many other countries don’t offer.  There’s also confidence in the U.K. economy — obviously it’s taken a dip more recently — but prior to this, the private sector has performed well. We believe that this is mainly down to people wanting to stay in their homes for longer. We are also seeing a trend toward equity release as people wish to live more comfortably in their retirement. We anticipate that this market will continue to grow considering that around one-fifth (19%) of the U.K. population is aged over 65 years (ONS 2019), and it’s the fastest growing age group compared to any other. 

One area where I believe the U.K. market needs to improve is the focus on quality and compliance. I’m pleased that in recent years there has been a noticeable shift: Tenders are asking for quality and safety information, too, and price is tending to account for less than 50% now. But I’d like to see the U.K. set the standard for procuring high-quality, compliant and safe adaptation solutions.

I’m proud of the fact that I’ve ended up back where I started, and in the position that I am; it’s the role I aspired to when I first joined Terry Lifts.

LF: You are also responsible for export sales and engaging with the Terry Lifts export partners. What impact did the pandemic have on this, and what are your export plans for the next few years?

SH: In honesty, there was no rhyme or reason to our export sales during the pandemic, mainly because of the different lockdown rules and periods of shutdown across the globe. But this, in turn, helped us. Their lockdowns didn’t necessarily coincide with ours, and this meant we could keep the factory going — by completing outstanding export orders and accepting new ones. In 2020, our South Korean export partner ordered significantly more portable platform lifts than in the previous three years, for example. They were buying for stock to see them through the period of uncertainty. Export sales to our Australian distributor also rose in 2020, up by almost 37% on 2018.

Looking to the future, we have plans to expand into Europe — taking on new distributors and working closer with Stannah’s European partners. This will happen in conjunction with our growth plans in the U.K. The U.K. will remain our focus for 2022-23 as we continue to make strategic changes.

LF: Tell us a little about Terry’s plans — are there any new products on the horizon? What can U.K. partners expect from you in the coming months and years?

SH: We’re investing in our core products. Key to this is refining the Harmony through-floor home lift. We will be making it easier to install. We are also looking at adding glass sides to the Harmony FE, our fully enclosed through-floor lift, to make it more appealing. Our step lift range is under review, too, to make it more compact and easier to install. This is something we are continually doing — making our products as installation-friendly as possible.

We do have a new product on the horizon, but I don’t want to reveal too much. Let’s just say, it’s something that the market’s not seen before!  

LF: What do you find most rewarding about the lift industry?

SH: I think, first and foremost, it’s the difference our products make to people’s lives. It’s very humbling to know that what you do each day has the power to transform someone’s life. And it makes it even more rewarding when they get in touch to let us know. Customer satisfaction is one of the main reasons why I do the job I do, and nothing beats sharing that positivity with the team. Being a former draftsman, I also find the R&D process extremely rewarding — when that new product comes out of the factory and goes into someone’s home. It’s particularly satisfying when we see end results of customers’ special requirements, too.

LF: What achievement are you most proud of, personally as well as professionally?

SH: I’m proud of the fact that I’ve ended up back where I started, and in the position that I am; it’s the role I aspired to when I first joined Terry Lifts. I feel as though I’ve achieved a lot over the past 20 years to end up where I am. I think Stannah was a good steppingstone for me; I moved up into management very quickly, and it was where I found my feet.

On a personal note, I’m very proud of my family. Both sons have gone into engineering, and my daughter is doing design and engineering at school. So, we’re all following very similar pathways, which makes me very proud.

LF: Where do you see yourself in five/10 years?

SH: I’d like to think I can continue to grow the business at Terry Lifts for the next five, maybe even 10 years. I don’t see myself anywhere else, and I most certainly don’t want to be anywhere else. The company is going from strength and strength, and if we keep doing what we’re doing, then it can only get better! And hopefully, I can continue to add to that.

LF: When you’re not at work, where would we find you?

SH: In the sun! I love the outdoors. I love getting out on my bike. There’s nothing more satisfying than getting some miles under your belt. I also love walking with my wife and our dog out in the countryside. 

I enjoy time in the garden, too, especially when cooking a BBQ, which is always my favourite pastime — feeding people and cooking outdoors, as long as I’ve got a cold beer in my hand, of course!