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For many decades now, Jersey has been firmly on the path of growth, whether that is in the scale of its economy, or the size of its population, with the obvious links between the two.
The most recent census then suggested that something different was now happening, proposing a number (103,267) which seemed lower than many expected, certainly than the most recent official estimates.
At the very least, that all begs the question as to where Jersey now stands on its growth curve…and what is really sustainable?
Enter Nigel Blandin, the founder of 4Group, who has recently retired from a long career in the local construction and contracting sectors.
As he told Express, business success is all about continually moving forward…but not at all costs. He began by summarising his career through to retirement...
Pictured: Mr Blandin left his job at the bank and started working for his brother
With four-and-a-half ‘O’ levels I got a job in a bank, TSB, it was what you were “supposed” to do. I hated everything about it, apart from dealing with the customers on the counter.
After 13 months they had had enough of me and I went to work for my brother, Brian, to help with running all his sites. That was a steep learning curve, 19-years-old trying to manage seasoned staff in their 50’s.
We hired a mini digger for a job one day and as soon as I watched it work, I had the lightbulb moment!
On October 11th 1990, our first machine arrived and went to work in Gas Place. I started on my own in January ’91 and just went out and said yes to everything. For five years or so, the rest of the industry laughed at our little diggers, but they didn’t bother us and we grew the business until we sold Blandin Light Plant to Hewden PLC in 2003, then the Uk’s largest rental company.
Pictured: Three years there was my degree course in ‘How (not) to run a PLC.’
I left, and started Blandin Contracting in 2005 going back to doing nice jobs, for nice people, who pay the bill.
A chance conversation with a friend, Mick Jehan, in 2008 started 4hire. It was just supposed to be a small thing to serve our own businesses. That grew so fast that by 2011, we had sold Blandin Contracting to concentrate on 4hire, which turned into 4Group.
Come 2008 we were at the end of our 10-year cycle, and I proposed to the directors that we either invest heavily for the future or we sell the business.
We already knew the Anderson brothers of GAP Group, Britain’s largest privately owned rental company and we soon agreed a deal.
I have enjoyed what we do, and I reckon it’s time to let the business find its own path. I think our current team is the best we have had.
NB: Our leadership team, Wojciech Duszkiewicz and Nicky Horsfall, are now on the board as Directors and have assumed control of the business. Our management team support them completely. If I wasn’t comfortable, trust me, I wouldn’t be going!
NB: Quite early on, one of our plant operators, Jake Le Gallez, was killed on a site. That changes you forever.
It was deemed an accident, but that day led to 4Safety – our training business. You’ll never get rich training, but we have helped thousands of people over the years, and if we have prevented an accident, or a fatality it has served its purpose. Our training team seriously impress me with their commitment and enthusiasm.
Pictured: Nigel Blandin started 4Safety after a colleague died in tragic circumstances.
As for highs, the biggest high has been sharing my career with my wife, Claire.
Business is a balance of optimism and realism – having a partner to talk to and share everything with is the only reason I have achieved anything – its why my statements always start with “we”, not I – I’ll never make a politician!
NB:
Never waste a crisis - you learn little from success, yo learn so much more from failure, or you damn well should.
It takes 10 years to know if it really works.
Never stand still - if you aren't going forward, you are going back.
Give it a go! If it doesn't work, well, you learned something - see above.
Understand your business. It amazes me, particularly in Jersey, how few people can actually cost up their business in their head. You must know how it works, where it doesn't and why.
Start your business in a recession - That does concentrate the mine! If you know how it works when things are tough, you are sorted. If you only ever have it easy, when things get tight (and they will) you will struggle.
Don't buy that Range Rover or boat when the money starts coming in - reinvest it in your business, there is time for that stuff later.
Listen.
Think.
Solve.
NB: Just add one. Make it a legal requirement to vote. If you don’t vote, you can’t moan.
NB: I would be honest about the costs – the climate emergency and current global situation means they are rising – be honest, stand on your soapbox and discuss it. Jersey is a small island and therefore a reactionary market; we are beholden to larger jurisdictions. Wealth equality is more pressing than the cost of anything specific.
If you press me on one, then the cost of bureaucracy.
NB: Businesses that aren’t in the finance sectors need to be more attractive to youngsters. As we supply local markets, we can’t compete with the international market. However, if we can show youngsters that what I call “real businesses” are enjoyable, rewarding and long term we have a chance. Relying on outsourced staff, at any level, isn’t a sustainable solution.
Pictured: "Businesses that aren’t in the finance sectors need to be more attractive to youngsters."
Jersey needs to ask itself what level of modern lifestyle do we want? If it is a life of everything being done for us, then we need more people to do that for us…It does amaze me how many people don’t clean their own houses, windows, cars etc, then moan about population control.
NB: Both! We need homes but must also stop sacrificing commercial sites for homes – homeowners need somewhere to work! There may be lots of offices and shops, but have you ever tried looking for a workshop, or a yard?
More innovative building practices and planning forethought to bring costs down would open up more sites. We need to look to the sustainable transport plans to reduce the amount of parking required, it’s a massive space eater – this affects the next generation of home occupiers; I fear that currently we are addicted to our individual car ownership. We do have to accept the loss of some fields, but please, be realistic and honest about which ones.
I have been part of the Jersey Construction Council and before that, other trade federations for decades now. The depth of skills and knowledge in the construction industry is huge. It does seem though that the clients, be they public or private are so conservative that progress is strangled and only occasionally creeps through.
NB: Ha! No. Once again, politicians need to get up on their soapboxes and say, “This is going to hurt us all – vote for me!” Unfortunately, policy is decided by democratically voted politicians who want to keep their seats. It doesn’t lead to many clear and honest appraisals and decisions, does it? I’m not anti-democracy, I am pro-honesty and trust in politics.
Jersey can make serious change now. For three years we have used HVO renewable diesel. It makes a huge difference and is a transitional fuel to get us to the next stage without making things worse. I am fed up with trying to explain this to government. There is a lot of tax revenue raised from fuel duty…£20 odd million a year – somehow the books must balance, unfortunately the climate isn’t balanced is it.
Pictured: Rewind Carbon reduces the amount of carbon there is in the atmosphere by rewinding threatened ecosystems.
We have also been working closely with Durrell on the Rewild Carbon project. We have learnt a huge amount from and through them – Jersey should be so proud and supportive of this organisation; it is a world leader.
Something Dr Lesley Dickie, Durrell’s CEO, told me helps every decision we make, and would help the government every day. We were discussing sustainability and I asked for a clear definition, she said: “If something can be continued indefinitely, it is sustainable. If it can’t, it is not.” It doesn’t get clearer than that. By the way, that statement works for pretty much anything.
NB: I love Jersey, but I am leaving. Why? Because it is a goldfish bowl; a very beautiful one, but an inward looking container, nonetheless. Claire and I need to breath and see what is over the hill.
I really think that the island, government, business and all need to stop counting the wrong things. Infinite growth in a finite world isn’t possible, it is the ideology of a cancer cell.
We need to look more at life and happiness rather than wealth. Prosperity is not just about money is it!
This article first appeared in Connect Magazine. You can read all previous editions HERE.
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