Aspire Industrial Services sees sales reach £1m

MD Claire Donnelly set up the firm with her brother Marc Cruickshank. Picture: contributed.

A family-owned firm is laying the groundwork for further expansion after breaking the £1 million annual turnover threshold, less than two years after it was set up.

Glasgow-based Aspire Industrial Services provides consumables, plant hire, tools and workwear to the demolition, construction and asbestos sectors.

Operating from its Hillington Industrial Estate HQ, the firm said its first full financial year of trading revenues hit £1m, up from £600,000 in the first five months of operation. Half of this revenue is generated from branding, while consumables, testing and plant hire account for the other half.

Since its new financial year began in April, like-for-like sales have doubled, with the firm on track for revenues of £1.5m in the current 12-month period.

MD Claire Donnelly and her younger brother, Marc Cruickshank, decided to set up the firm after discovering that the supply chain serving Scotland’s asbestos sector operated almost exclusively from London. They quickly expanded into demolition and construction.

Donnelly drew on her 13 years of high-street experience working for retailers including New Look, incorporating aspects of retail into Aspire, while Cruickshank previously owned his own tiling company, and was formerly an asbestos surveyor.

Donnelly leads the operational and retail side, while her brother handles the hire, testing and respiratory sections.

The business now employs 11 people and focuses on hiring specialists in their field.