Kevin Mullen retires as leader of TClarke in the North of England

In 1982, Kevin Mullen was an apprentice with this company – in 2024 he retires as the leader of the North of England, having led the business through a period of strong growth and successfully navigating each challenge to the point of expansion and market leadership today. He reflects on a long and successful career that began with a slice of misfortune that proved to be good fortune.

“When I started out as an electrical apprentice, the company I was working for failed. At that time the Construction Industry Training Board helped you find another employer and that’s when fortune turned for me. I went to TClarke (or Veale Nixon as we were known in the North East then)  and I worked directly with the Managing Director Roy Hutchinson. It turned out I had found my career home for life.

“Back then although some things like health, safety and wellbeing – were totally different; many good features of this company were the same. We had high standards, we believed in strong engineering and training – and good people with the right skills and aptitude got responsibility early. So it was that on completing my apprenticeship I was immediately out running jobs. It was a great experience.

“As I progressed in the organisation and took control of larger projects, I was also able to take responsibility for tendering and then delivering the job. This was a great all-round grounding in the engineering, the relationship-building and the financial disciplines and controls which you need in our industry.

“I’ve gone on to lead, first in the North East and then, across the whole of our North operations, taking in the whole of Yorkshire and the North West. It has been a real pleasure and privilege to work with so many good people over the years. That is the main thing I will take with me. We have built the business to an entirely new level of success and reputation – and expanded our operations fully across building services. But we have stayed true to our values and I am proud to be one in a continued line of people trained, developed and given opportunity by TClarke – who themselves feel a deep commitment and pride in the engineering we deliver together. This is a great family to be part of.”

Mark Lawrence, Group CEO commented :

“Kevin’s contribution to TClarke is outstanding. As a leader, a mentor and a highly valued colleague who has shown over time his ability to deliver and develop our standards and culture and forge relationships built on complete trust. His commitment to everything – from delivering projects to raising money for charity and to leading a strong team has been exceptional. Every one of us in the TClarke family wishes him a very happy, long and enjoyable retirement. He deserves it.”