35 years might not sound that long ago to some of us, but to put it into perspective, when Mike, Phylis, Adrian & Brian first opened the doors to Mikrospin it was in a time before email, Tim Berners-Lee was still dreaming up something called the World Wide Web and googling had a completely different meaning. In short, it was a different world.
35 years, 6 prime ministers, 2 recessions and 1 global pandemic later - two of the founder members are still at the helm of Mikrospin. Brian and Adrian are definitely older, certainly wiser but just as enthusiastic about the business and its prospects for the future.
So what’s been the secret to our survival?
Director, Brian Hughes explains:
“We’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, but our core belief that customer service is key has remained consistent and I believe that is why we have continued to thrive. We have held true to our core ethos throughout the years and at heart we are still the same business. We recognise that we are selling to people who have problems to solve and we are industry experts who can provide suggestions and solutions - not just products.”
The business started out as the sales division of the larger organisation KS Hydraulics. Initially focusing just on pumps, bell housings, couplings & filters. Following the advent of mini power packs, the business now stocks 1000s of products that are distributed across the UK.
Although the Mikrospin team has grown over the years, it is still exclusively made up of industry experts and can boast clients that have worked with the company for decades.
Director Adrian Griffin is a fully qualified hydraulics engineer involved in the design and prototyping of full hydraulic systems and their relevant components. Working closely with clients, he has delivered bespoke hydraulic systems to the food and pharmaceutical industries, transport and logistics, farming, mobility and many more over the years.
“From ‘one man in a van’ requiring a single part to an organisation requiring bespoke hydraulic system design, we are happy to share our expertise and always on the end of a phone to answer questions and offer suggestions.”
New members of the team such as Dean Poynter have joined the company and are keen to drive the business forward, bringing their own expertise to the table. Dean is particularly driven to ensure Mikrospin’s position as market-leading experts is maintained. He believes that fuel efficiencies and environmental benefits of Mikrospin products will be key to the buyers of the future.
“Whatever gets thrown our way, I believe we are in a strong position. We will always adapt, strive to stay at the forefront of our industry and make the best use of technology and e-commerce channels available. But most importantly, we will never lose sight of the fact that it’s our customers that have kept us going this far.”
Brian Hughes