Right at home

Summary
¦ Hamish Macleod joined Unilever on a graduate training programme.
¦ In his 19 years with Howie Forest Products he’s overseen £50m of investment.
¦ He is a Forestry Commission non-exec commissioner and serves on the Wood for Good board.
¦ In his spare time he follows rugby and plays badminton.

As a young graduate with a degree in technology and business studies from Strathclyde University, Hamish Macleod was faced with a dilemma. He had two job offers: one from the Ford motor company; the other, a place on Unilever’s graduate training scheme at the company’s Thames Board paperboard plant in Purfleet, Essex.

He chose the latter, a decision that led him to his current position as managing director of sawmiller Howie Forest Products in Dalbeattie.

“People gave my parents a hard time, saying this is an opportunity of a lifetime, can you not persuade him to change his mind. But for some reason I was not persuaded,” said Hamish. “I liked the guys at Unilever; I felt more comfortable with them. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I'd gone to Dagenham, but I think I made the right decision.”

Soon after joining Unilever Hamish was transferred to Worthington, Cumbria, where the company was building a new paper mill and had an existing sawmill. He eventually moved to the sawmill where he was introduced to the industry that would become his career – and it was a fairly intense introduction.

Forestry experience

“I didn't know anything about trees or forests so they sent me into the forest for six months to work as a contractor in Scotland and northern England,” said Hamish.

It was the early 1980s, when the majority of felling was still done by chainsaw, and in any weather. “It was a great idea and it helped me to get a good understanding of that part of the industry.”

Fourteen years later, and as general manager of the sawmill, Hamish had another opportunity to change industries, but he was “hooked” and so when Robin Howie asked him to join his family company in Dalbeattie, he had no hesitation.

“I saw the potential of working for someone who was really driven by the sector,” said Hamish.

He and Robin Howie shared the title of managing director but Hamish had responsibility for the day-to-day running of the mill. “Robin would joke that I had responsibility for everything and he signed the cheques. But he was hands on and his counsel was always welcome,” said Hamish. “You need to have someone you can talk to, a sounding board, even if it's just to confirm what you think is right.”

Moving from a multi-national to a small family business was rather a culture shock but part of Hamish’s remit was to grow the business. And that’s exactly what he’s done.

Investment

In his 19 years with Howie he has overseen investment of around £50m and developed the company from one with 30 employees and sawn capacity of 60,000m³ to 180 on the payroll and a potential capacity of 350,000m³. And, of course, in 2009, he saw Howie Forest Products’ acquisition by BSW Timber – a move which, he said, has been beneficial for Howie.

Any initial nervousness that the change may have caused among staff was quickly allayed when BSW endorsed Howie’s plans for further investment. “That we secured that so early after the acquisition was a huge confidence boost for everyone,” said Hamish. “he approach has been ‘if it ain't broke don't fix it’. There’s been a gradual merging of the two businesses but Howies has retained its identity.”

The acquisition is part of the growth and development of Howie – and the British sawmilling industry – that Hamish views with satisfaction.

“It’s been very rewarding to see the growth of the business, and the whole home-grown industry. When I started, British production was less than 10% of market share; now it's more than 30%. To see that in one’s career is really terrific,” he said. “The British industry has certainly come of age.”

Industry work

And Hamish has played his part in that progress. Outside his work at Howie, he has what he calls his “other day job” – Forestry Commission non-exec commissioner, serving on the Great Britain board and chairing the national committee for Scotland. He has also just returned to the Wood for Good board, and is a past president of the UK Forest Products Association.

Following BSW’s acquisition of Howie he has also taken on the additional role of head of public affairs for BSW, maintaining the company’s profile with politicians and local authorities.

The little free time that his “two day jobs” allow Hamish devotes to his family, a weekly game of badminton and supporting the local rugby club, the Dumfries Saints, which Howie Forest Products also sponsors.

His busy life gives him few occasions to wonder what would have happened if he’d taken that job with Ford, but when he does, he’s in no doubt he made the right decision.

“Where we are in the sector we see everything; one minute we’re challenging log suppliers and the next we’re facing difficulties in transport or we have customers to talk to. We’re right in the middle of it. I wouldn’t swap it; it’s a great place to be.”