Andy Whitelaw

Managing Director
AWJ Glass Ltd.

It was in 1983 that I first became involved in the glass industry. My first company, Andy Whitelaw Joinery Ltd, started as a small local company doing no more than your average joinery company. It didn’t take long for me to realise, however, that to manufacture my own sealed units would provide me with the leading edge over my competitors as I would be less reliant on external sources. This was when things began to take off for me as I had discovered one of the secrets of a successful business - self sufficiency.

It has also been of paramount importance to me to ensure that I am supporting the local community in terms of providing employment, and providing an exceptional service to the area around us. Subsequently I am now one of Scarborough’s largest employers and much of our business is as a result of word of mouth. We do not have to rely on extensive advertising which itself is seen to be a huge achievement in the area in which we are located.

In summary, I am a local lad who has worked hard to grow a company which is successful both in terms of its profitability, its emphasis on quality, and its commitment to its workforce.