By nurturing young talent, MSF places the future of street lighting and traffic signage technology in safe hands
Set up by Managing Director Shaun Stacey in 2012, MSF is a nationwide highways contractor specializing in street lighting, traffic signs, technology, civil engineering, and electric vehicle (EV) charging, both HV and independent connections. Starting with just a handful of employees, the company began trading from a single portacabin in a yard in Podington, Northamptonshire. We have had the privilege of speaking with Shaun, who narrates the intricacies of founding MSF and turning it into the industry leading entity it is today.
“In 2008, I worked for a large corporation but quickly grew tired of the politics that came with it. This prompted me to establish my own company, MSF, in 2011,
though I did not start trading until 2012. It is important to note that I have been in the signing industry since the age of 16 and founding my own traffic sign business made sense. After giving my three months’ notice to my employer, I focused on setting up the company and obtaining all the necessary credentials and tools. From there, the business grew and never ceased to develop. It was a struggle, but I managed to make the business thrive alongside my old business partner, Gary Mason. For about five years, Gary, although integral to the business, was a relatively silent partner who I only saw once a year during council meetings and, as such, I handled most aspects of the business by myself with a small team.
“When I first created MSF, my aspiration was to reach an annual turnover of £5 million within ten years. However, we ended up surpassing that target, achieving a turnover of more than £35 million in just 11 years. Over time, we have built a strong reputation for ourselves based on our exceptional customer service. For instance, all 230 of our staff members understand the importance of quick and efficient communication. Regardless of the answer, they respond to emails and queries right away, never ignoring anyone. We strive to maintain this reputation for customer service, because to us, reputation is everything,” he elaborates.
Sustainability through innovation
Backed by Shaun’s extensive 38 years of experience in the industry, MSF proudly stands as one of the oldest signing installers in the UK. Shaun tells us more about the company’s portfolio of products and services.
“We are a contracting company; we do not manufacture our own products but are a supply and installation contractor. My initial ambition was for MSF to be focused 80 per cent on traffic signs and 20 per cent on street lighting. However, these figures have since flipped, making us the largest signing installer but also one of the largest independent street lighting contractors in the UK. Our range of traffic signs includes communication signs such as those found on motorways, electronic signs, and traffic signals. In addition, we offer EV charging and supply solar units through a partnership with a Dutch company,” he says.
MSF’s solar units are an integral part of its wider sustainability strategy – an important consideration for all companies in the construction and civil engineering sector. Shaun sheds light on initiatives aimed at reducing MSF’s fuel consumption and overall environmental impact.
“Our solar units are poised to make a significant difference to the industry as they seem to be outperforming those of other providers. On the side of that, we have updated our fleet with relatively new 240 plus vehicles, including 14 electric cars and some electric vans. As a company we aspire to go all-electric once technology improves. Furthermore, we spend significant time working with designers and clients using knowledge and software striving to offer alternative products and designs that they use in their projects. In other words, we promote sustainability through innovation.”
People first
Such innovation is brought forward by MSF’s highly experienced workforce.
“Indeed, our senior management team boasts a combined industry experience of 400 years. As far as I am concerned, MSF management is made up of the best people in the industry and experts in their fields; all of us foster a culture of honesty about our capabilities. If there is something we cannot do, we will be upfront about it and work with our clients to find a solution. Our success was built on a foundation of honesty, friendliness, and open communication with our clients,” Shaun continues.
He goes on to discuss the company culture at MSF in greater detail.
“What makes us an attractive place to work is that we never set limits on our employees’ potential. Everyone has aspirations, and some may take them further, so we strive to recognize those individuals, many of whom are younger. Currently, we are focused on hiring more young staff members who we can train and invest in. By doing so, we help our employees become specialists in their field, which makes them more valuable to our business in the long run.
“This dedication to nurturing younger talent began when we hired our Operations Director, James, who was himself fairly young at the time. Our commitment to training the next generation is reflected in our corporate structure. As part of that, we actively encourage employees with the aspiration and appetite to enhance their skills and develop within the business. Nonetheless, we do not overwhelm them with responsibilities, but rather let them grow at their own pace, which makes it much easier for them. Additionally, we maintain an open-door policy, meaning that there is always somebody for staff to speak to if they encounter any problems, ensuring the business maintains a family-oriented feel. It goes without saying, but as our team members become better at their job, we give them better compensation, as we strive to offer everyone a better quality of life,” he adds.
Concluding our interview, Shaun reveals his vision for the company’s future.
“At MSF, our growth strategy is not focused on being the largest in the marketplace, but rather maintaining being the best and remaining the first choice for the industry’s needs. To fulfil this, we consistently diversify our portfolio with different ranges, services and products. This way, we can be the first choice for clients who value quality over price, allowing us to continue paying our staff well and attracting more talented individuals. Therefore, if our prices are not cheap enough for a potential client, we will direct them to another company, as we prioritize compensating our employees fairly for their work, making them and their families happy,” he ends.