The secret of my success: How to flourish as an independent business

Martyn Davies, managing director of Siesta Windows

Martyn Davies has established the “longest-running independent home improvement company” in the Swansea area. But what's the secret to his success? MARK REES went to find out...

Never mind a room with a view, or the hustle and bustle of the city streets. When it comes to a unique office location, they don't come much more impressive than Martyn Davies’s workplace in Neath Abbey.
The managing director of Siesta Windows sits in the shadow of what has been described as “the fairest abbey of all Wales”, a historical monument which can trace its roots back to the twelfth century.
In stark contrast, Martyn’s complex is packed with ultra-modern showrooms, each one loaded with the latest in home improvement offerings. Behind the shopfront is a vast warehouse-like space where the magic happens, while his personal office, an orderly room stacked with files, folders and a few personal trinkets, is tucked away on the top floor.
It is there that we meet for a chat and a coffee.

Neath Abbey

"It’s funny – the harder I work, the luckier I get!"

Martyn is a self-confessed workaholic, and as such he doesn’t have much spare time to appreciate the finer details of the ancient wonders on his doorstep.
But his hard work has seen him establish what he describes as the “longest-running independent home improvement company” in the Swansea area, and he credits this non-stop work ethic with being the main secret to his success.
“A lot of people have come up to me and said ‘you’re a lucky bugger’” he says when reflecting on his achievements.
“But it’s funny – the harder I work, the luckier I get!” he laughs.
“You get nothing for nothing. You’ve got to work hard and love what you do. You’ve just got to go for it. What’s the worst that can happen? You can fail, and then you start again.”
This is the voice of experience talking.
Martyn learned his trade by putting in the hard graft from an early age, taking his first steps into the workplace as an apprentice toolmaker for building supplies group Metal Box.
“Back then, jobs were for life,” he recalls.
“They were a cracking company, but after four years they announced the first ever redundancies to hit Metal Box – so much for the job for life!” he jokes.

The Siesta Windows showroom

“I’d go down the colliery at 10pm, home by 4.30am, and still worked for the builders in the day.”

Having opted to take the redundancy package – a not too shabby £3,800, which was worth considerably more in the early 1980s, and came in extra handy with a wedding on the way – his next stint was with Austin Heath Builders, which he combined with a second job working underground at Blaenant Colliery.
Martyn literally worked day and night.
“I’d go down the colliery at 10pm, home by 4.30am, and still worked for the builders in the day,” he explains.
But after two years of burning the candle at both ends, things changed when the building company became Swansea’s first dedicated window company. He was offered the job of managing it, which meant calling time on his night shifts down the mine, and at just the right time.
“I jacked in the mining during ‘stop fortnight,’ and the day after was the National Mining Strike. I didn’t go back, I even left my tools down there.”
Business was booming in the window trade at this point, with Martyn describing it as a “phenomenal time.” For comparison, he notes that “a back door would cost £1,200 – double what it costs now.”

Martyn Davies in the Siesta Windows showroom

"They weren’t looking after the clients, just the money. So I jacked it in, and took my best window fitter with me."

But it all came crashing to a halt when big business came calling. With new investors at the helm, Martyn felt that profits came at the expense of the customer, and took a leap of faith and set up his own business.
“It was bought by shareholders, and they weren’t looking after the clients, just the money. So I jacked it in in 1986, and took my best window fitter with me.”
The pair started their new business from Martyn’s home, drumming up trade in the local press. Four years later he took sole charge of the business, and fast forward a few decades, he’s still driving the business forward from his base in Neath Abbey, which he bought in 1991.
Despite being on the market for a much smaller premises at the time, fate intervened to ensure that he bought a considerably bigger space than needed, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“We were told, ‘if you want it, buy it all’,” he says of his decision to buy the extra space.
“So we went for it, and it’s the best thing we ever did. We started as two people, now we’re 28 people. We’ve become a one-stop shop, and expanded due to customer demand. ”

Martyn Davies from Siesta Windows with Low Cost Vans' managing director Rod Lloyd

"I just love my work. Because it’s yours, it’s part of your life. It’s your baby."

What began as a window manufacturer snowballed into a complete home improvement company, with the unused office space leased out to other local businesses. All of which has put them in very good shape for the future, something which Martyn is relishing facing with the same enthusiasm which set him on his path all those years ago.
“When we give a 10 year guarantee, people know we’ll still be here in 10 years," he says.
"We’ll continue to look after people, and to expand on what we’ve got. In this business, there’s always going to be the next big thing, so you have to be prepared.
“I just love my work. Because it’s yours, it’s part of your life. It’s your baby.”

Martyn Davies in Neath Abbey

Siesta Windows

To find out more about Siesta Windows, visit their website.