Group Business Development Director, Michael Trott, has a range of responsibilities that include;
- Identification & conversion of new business opportunities
- Maintaining existing business relationships through Business Development (BD) teams
- Monitoring markets & market change
- Developing and enhancing BD processes, reporting and efficiency
- Ensuring a flexible, pro-active and engaged BD structure & team
Michael delivers these key business functions across all Group operating companies, these being, Gratte Brothers Limited (now also known as Building Services & Engineering), Catering Equipment (now also known as Foodservice Solutions), Building Services Maintenance (GBBSM), and Security Management (now also known as Security Systems & Software).
With proven experience across several building services sectors and time spent as Managing Director of GBSM, Michael’s industry knowledge is one of the factors that makes him so effective at matching client’s needs to our business capacities. With renewed focus on Gratte Brothers Security Management, Michael has shared some insights about his approach to BD and career to date:
History with Gratte Brothers
I left school at the tender age of sixteen with a handful of O-Levels with no real aim to go into further education (University etc). My Uncle had his own building firm and had previously worked with Gratte Brothers. He managed to get me an interview with one of the Group’s co-founders and Directors, Derrick Gratte, and the rest is history.
I’ve been at Gratte Brothers Group for 45 years. Having started as an apprentice working towards an Ordinary National Certificate (ONC) and Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Electrical Engineering for 7 years, I worked through my City and Guilds qualifications from an Electrician to a Technician. I then moved to an office-based engineering role where I learnt my trade for the next 12 years. During this time, I ran some sizable projects and proved my reliability, resulting in being asked to support a start-up security company (GBSM). I worked within GBSM for a further 20 years, reaching the position of Managing Director which I held for 8 years. As the Group’s companies developed, I was asked to move to Group level in what is my current role as GBDD.
Michael’s Approach
I’m known as a ‘once you meet him you never forget him’ type of person (in a nice way). I’m very happy working in a team, which is something that goes back to my sporting days playing rugby. As a family-owned business, there is a real sense of team spirit within the Group: we are all working towards the same goals and are happy to support each other to achieve them. I also think that I’ve got good people skills which fits really well within the Gratte Brothers culture, and something which I think can be quite rare in the wider engineering world.
Current Focus
As the Group’s Business Development Director, I work across all business divisions to bring new leads to the business. Within Gratte Brothers Security Management, this entails engaging and supporting the current Business Development (BD)/Bid team and using my contacts and knowledge of the construction industry to aid GBSM.
Having worked in both Security and M&E over my career, I have picked up a unique, in-depth understanding of these very different building services industries. Business Development in Gratte Brothers is not about straightforward selling, but more about finding the right project opportunities that fit our capability and capacity.
I’ve been in my current position of Group Business Development Director (GBDD) for about 6 years. Within this time, I’ve focussed on how we communicate cross-company and manage client opportunities to maximise business across the Group’s companies. Until now, I’ve worked with a 60-70% focus on Gratte Brothers Limited (GBL). With the pipeline secured for several years in advance, I am now rebalancing my focus across the other divisions, including GBSM and GBCEL.
The Gratte Brothers Group is now under the stewardship of the third generation of the Gratte family. I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with all three generations over my time here and am proud to be one of the longest-serving members of the Group. I’ve played a part in a good few firsts in my time, including being part of the team that expanded GBSMs portfolio of services through a new business venture.
To see how Michael Trott and the team can help you, get in touch via our Contact Us page.
