My father was an aeronautical design engineer and absolute genius. He worked on the development of Concorde amongst other aircraft and also ran a successful business. Unfortunately I’m not as clever as him, but he did give me a love of all things technical. From an early age I was helping my father fix and create things. Rebuilding engines, fixing appliances, making PCBs and radio-controlled model aircraft were all part of my early life. To this day I am still fascinated by how things work.

I had the opportunity to go to a grammar school; however, my father recommended that I go to the local comprehensive school because it was more technical. I did well at the school and passed ten O levels, then on to college where I passed 5 A levels.

Exeter University to study mechanical engineering was going to be the next stop; however, I decided to skip university, rent a two-up two-down house with my girlfriend and get a job. I could write a book about the following year!

In 1985 a good friend got me a job at Otis/Budget Lifts. My experience with things electro-mechanical and overall experience paid off. After eighteen months I was installing and modernising lifts and shortly after I was troubleshooting and testing.

In late 1996 my father advised me to start out on my own. He was always right, so I took his advice. On the 24th of January 1997, I incorporated Summit Elevators Limited.

My vision was to build a successful and secure lift company. I knew that this was going to come from being 100% technically competent and treating all customers and staff with the greatest of respect. I had witnessed other independent companies suffering from uncontrolled growth and poor people management and, of course, I had my father’s advice.

In the first few years, I typically worked a fourteen-hour day, six or seven days a week and took few holidays. The base was set and on the 31st of March 2002, my friend Carl Coelho joined the company on a 50/50 basis. Carl had a wealth of knowledge and experience in the lift industry, which I knew was going to take us to the next level.

We have continued with the steady and secure growth and now have what I think is one of the best lift companies in the UK. This can be seen by the fact that we still have some of the contracts I gained in the 1990s. Despite the lack of engineers in the country, we are fully staffed and many employees have been with us for a very, very long time.

I began my career in the lift industry 35 years ago as a Technical Clerk at Hammond & Champness, a national lift company. During my time there, I studied lift engineering and quickly transitioned into sales, excelling in selling repairs and maintenance contracts, consistently surpassing targets. In 1994, I was headhunted by Crown Lifts, where I sold repairs, modernisations, and maintenance contracts, securing high-profile clients like the Marriott Hotel London County Hall, The Law Society, and Ford UK.

In 1998, I joined another independent lift company, where I developed operational systems and grew both the service portfolio and revenue streams.

In 2002, I co-founded Summit Elevators with my business partner, Roger Doswell. As Sales Director, I helped build a company that blends the professionalism of a large organisation with the personal service of a smaller business.

Proudly a wholly independent, British, family-run company, Summit Elevators is now strengthened by the involvement of both our sons in the business.

*Hammond & Champness bought by Thyssen Lifts UK 1999

** Crown Lifts bought by Kone Lifts UK

With over 20 years of experience in the elevator industry, I have developed a deep expertise in both operations and business development. I began my career at Otis Elevator in 2005, where I spent a decade advancing through the ranks to join the Key Account teams. In 2019, I transitioned to Schindler as Head of Business Development, further refining my strategic and leadership skills.

In 2020, I joined Summit’s sales team, and after three years of driving growth and innovation, I was honored to be promoted to Director. My journey reflects a strong commitment to excellence and a passion for delivering tailored solutions to our clients.