PERTHSHIRE-based shed manufacturers, Gillies & Mackay, have been nationally recognised for their trailblazing leadership, after proudly being named ‘Best Business Leader in Manufacturing’ at the 2023 UK Business Awards.
For over 30 years, Gillies & Mackay have been the leading experts in the garden building industry throughout Scotland, handcrafting high-end timber buildings. Renowned for their design engineering and extensive knowledge, Gillies & Mackay have a loyal fan base of ‘Sheddies’ who commend their quality and craftsmanship.
The family business was founded in 1989 by Grant Gillies and John Mackay, combining their real-world lumbering experience and academic knowledge of horticulture respectively.
In May 2022, Gillies and Mackay officially became a second generation family business when Cara Mackay, daughter of John and niece of Grant, became part owner & CEO.
Cara, who has worked at the company in various roles from woodcutting to delivering since she was a teenager, found her calling in the office when she was only eighteen, steering her towards embracing a prominent leadership role within the business.
Sixteen years later, the shed manufacturer’s latest award recognition acknowledges not only the company’s manufacturing excellence but also Cara’s proficiency in leadership. Since 2017, she has grown the business exponentially with a strong workforce of twenty-two and a turnover of £2 million. Her employee-centred approach is what accredits Gillies & Mackay’s success within the Scottish market.
Under Cara’s leadership as Chief Executive, Gillies & Mackay has become a Living Wage Employer, a Scottish Business Pledge member and a proud voice of women in construction. Cara has shown her dedication to employee experience by focusing on making Gillies & Mackay an inclusive, safe workplace and driving personal development through the workforce by providing opportunities for growth in health, leadership and communication.
This includes supporting those in the team with families, ensuring flexible working hours, carers leave and full maternity/paternity packages. This extends to those in the team with elderly parents and/or additional responsibilities.
Cara is also a dedicated advocate of mental health. Due to a predominantly male workforce, and the Mental Health Foundation’s findings of the unseen men’s mental health crisis in Scotland, Cara introduced the Gillies & Mackay Mental Health Benefit in 2020. This initiative provides fully-funded access to a professional therapist for any employee that needs it. Physical wellbeing is also provided for the team through fully-funded access to a chiropractor.
Alongside this, Gillies & Mackay are strongly committed to developing the future workforce, by providing reliable, career-driven youth employment opportunities, with a variety of apprenticeships and learning opportunities available to help the local community flourish.
Gillies & Mackay continue to expand their drive for design engineering, specifically by innovating traditional garden building construction to their own methods which include three-tier wall specification garages, as well as introducing a hybrid garden room range made with revolutionary Radiata Thermowood(c) and aluminium double glazing from suppliers EC Aluminium, in Fife. This strategic move is to replace their summerhouse range and to meet evolving customer desires.
Looking to the future, Cara and her team plan to continue to drive innovation forwards in the timber building industry, with plans to invest in research and development to create timber buildings that eradicate industry frustrations including the unpredictable Scottish weather.
Speaking about winning the Business Leader Award, Cara said: “Leadership is often a lonely, hard road. Having the ability and confidence to act in the best interest of the business as well as the overwhelming need to put your staff first is a balance that I am still very much learning.
“My mission has always been to create a legacy company, fit for generations to come but also to inspire other businesses in the manufacturing industry. You can create growth and success in your business through innovation whilst also improving your employee experience. Winning this award proves that it can be done.”
