People First: Gary McDowall on What Makes the BFC Special

BFC Chairman Gary McDowall shares his thoughts on why the Consortium means so much to him, and why it has been such a valued part of his career. 

Meeting the real players in the industry 

Gary’s company joined the BFC more than 20 years ago, by which point he already had over 15 years of industry experience. During his 12 years with the John Kerr company, he believed he had already met the industry’s most important players. Joining the BFC proved him wrong. 

John Kerr was one of Europe’s main manufacturers of dry powder and foam concentrates, supplying most of the major extinguisher manufacturers in the UK and many more around the world. But as Gary came to see, the key businesses were the hundreds of companies those manufacturers supplied: the small and medium-sized firms servicing the end users. 

Relationships built on trust 

Many of these companies are small, family-run businesses that are fully invested in the products and services they provide. Their customer relationships take years to build and are founded on trust. 

For Gary, that is what he has enjoyed most about being part of the BFC. Those relationships have grown into real friendships, and, for the most part, members are invested in each other. Members may not see each other every week or every month, but as Gary puts it, when they do meet, it is “always with a smile, humour and a good story”. 

Where small businesses shine 

Gary acknowledges that larger corporations play an essential role. Their investment is what brings new products and improved technology to the industry, and they have the capacity to produce at the scale needed. 

Where they differ from smaller businesses, he says, is in focus. Corporations invest in products first, while small and medium-sized businesses, working at the coalface, invest in people and relationships. 

A template for building a business 

“Today’s BFC is full of like-minded people, with like-minded aims,” says Gary. For him, as a start-up business owner, the BFC offered a template for structuring his company around people and the internal and external relationships that build lasting trust. 

Get that right, he explains, and providing products and services becomes much easier to achieve over the long term. It takes time, often years, but it is the best investment a business can make. 

Giving something back 

Gary gives his time and experience to the BFC to repay what the organisation has given him over two decades. For him, it is a simple way of putting people first, just as the Consortium has always done for its members.