Clearview National November 2015 - Issue 168 | Page 23

INDUSTRYNEWS
Evolution of Origin
“I joined the company initially to help out; my father and Neil
were working closely together to get the company off the ground and
I could see that they were on the brink of something real, and I could
be a part of it.”
Previously, Origin founder Neil Ginger had worked for his
father and uncle helping to build swimming pools, with customers
constantly requesting bi-fold doors to complete the look. Neil found
it almost impossible to find anything of high standard in the UK, let
alone to match the specifications, and some of the lead times for the
doors to be delivered were six, eight or even 16 weeks. So Origin was
born. The British company now designs, develops and manufactures
the Origin Bi-fold Door and Window at its fast-growing High
Wycombe facility.
Brocklesby started as a bookkeeper-cum-sales and accounts
manager, but also did her fair share of manufacturing the doors.
“There were so few of us to start with, I’d help make the doors and
load the lorries – making the doors from scratch for someone’s
home that you know they will love is very addictive.” Brocklesby
soon became aware of the enormous opportunities to grow the
operations side of the business. “I’m just one of those people who love
a challenge,” so she would put processes in place to accommodate
the company’s needs. “I completely grew the accounts department
from nothing and did the same with HR, recruitment and business
operations.”
As Victoria rose from admin manager to COO, so did the company,
becoming one of the biggest UK aluminium manufactures in bi-fold
doors. Like its creators, Origin has evolved, now with an annual
turnover of over £20 million, operations in Dubai, North America
and Europe, currently employing 153 people at its UK headquarters.

But she found she loved the business. “It was a complete buzz,
producing a product from scratch and then seeing the things your
company has made in use out in the world every day.”
“Recruiting more women into manufacturing is a challenge, but
there are many opportunities as it is a huge and diverse industry.
You can’t always believe the fiction that women can’t make the same
money men make, or that there are fewer opportunities for women in
manufacturing. Until we attract more female apprentices, graduates and
other entrants, we will continue to see women under-represented at all
levels in manufacturing.”
Brocklesby describes women as having a softer approach than their
male counterparts and perhaps it is Origin’s ability to harness the
gender balance in the boardroom that has been vital in securing the
future competitiveness of Origin and being a successful British family
business.

Bringing in the Big Guns
Origin started trading in 2002, finding the economic crash worked
in its favour by removing rogue competitors; Origin was soon
inundated with orders. Recognising they didn’t know which direction
to take the business, Ginger and Brocklesby found a ‘very lovely angel’
who believed in Origin and changed the direction of the business.
Daniel Baker, who pushes the strategic focus of the business
forward, helped devise a world class production system that enabled
Origin to offer a ‘Your Lead Time, Not Ours’ service - essentially
Origin are the first in the world to remove lead times from a bespoke
manufactured product.
The company has flourished; alongside a period of financial growth,
Brocklesby has led the expansion of business support services and
engaged other departments ensuring that every employee understands
Origin’s core values and the significance each person’s role plays in
achieving the company’s goals. “It’s been an interesting learning
process, we’ve learned a great deal about listening to people and what
they need us to do.”

Mums in Business
“To successfully cope with life, the thing working mums really
need is a good sense of humour,” states Brocklesby, mum of two sons,
Henry and Edward, who is constantly juggling her busy family life with
running Origin.
The business is a real family affair, 85% of the workforce has another
family member working at Origin. Brocklesby accepts she might
have had it easier than most, and since having her second child, she
only works a three day week, but she’s quick to point out that’s just as
stressful as she’s now cramming five days into three.
“Our determined approach together (as a family) means we care
about the business. We can cope with change and the fast growth of
the business because we are all striving for the same thing – complete
success. We focus solely on two quality aluminium products, meaning
we can provide what customers really want.”
Typically Victoria’s day starts at 6.00am, before the children wake
at 6.30am and then there is pandemonium to get everyone out the
door on time. Husband Ben, who also works at Origin, takes the
children to school while Victoria goes to the gym for a personal training
session, before getting into the office for 9am. Her working day starts
with emails, followed by back to back meetings and catching up with
employees, not leaving the office until after 6.30pm.
Brocklesby concludes, there’s an army of working mums quietly
but consistently doing just fine juggling of the work/life balance. She
considers the assumption that any woman, who chooses to work their
way to the top, will never see their children a ‘faulty narrative’ and her
story shows that this view is an old-fashioned one!

Women in Manufacturing
People thought Victoria was crazy when she didn’t follow a scientific
career inline with her degree, but chose to help run a manufacturing
business her cousin had started. She was one of the few women she
knew of at that time working within manufacturing, especially in
the doors and window industry. Brocklesby acknowledges that they
are fighting societal norms, with women only accounting for 23% of
directorships in manufacturing.

Giving Back
Working with, and helping people is a big priority for this COO;
making time to speak to the employees and giving guidance helps her
appreciate that product is product at the end of the day, and the people
who work at Origin are the real assets to the business.
“I try to talk to all employees each week, mentor and give advice. I
believe in the power of giving back and if you help people, there will
come a time when they can offer you help in return.”
Victoria is passionate about community spirit – “We have internally
benefited so much from Origin’s success and we are always looking
for ways to give back to the community via charity or local mentoring
in schools. Stronger links between employers, schools and colleges,
encouraging them to work together more closely will help young people
consider all possible career options.”

C L E A RV I E W-U K . C O M » N OV 2015 » 23