After finishing high school in 1996, Lee had a clear goal: to work in construction, specifically outdoors. Despite several rejections, perseverance paid off when he finally secured an apprenticeship with James Killelea & Co. Ltd as a Steel Erector.
The apprenticeship was a period of intense learning and growth. Lee soaked up every bit of knowledge and experience, working hard to excel. Once the apprenticeship was complete, he decided to join a smaller, new company, believing it would be a place to make a bigger impact. This decision paid off when Lee was promoted to Supervisor within a year. In this role, he not only managed projects but also helped with costing, gaining a deep understanding of the steel erection sector. At the same time, Lee also ran a side hustle creating detailed General Arrangements (GA’s) for structures before they were dismantled, providing valuable plans for their resale or re-erection.
The company grew rapidly, acquiring more site vehicles and even a 25-ton crane, which boosted profits and allowed for multiple projects to run simultaneously. Despite this success, he felt it was time to move on and join another company based in Preston. There, Lee was given more responsibility and management of a lot more resources, including a site vehicle and multiple cranes, to tackle challenging projects.
For his next role, Lee joined First Logistics, however not long after joining the business, the UK went into recession in 2009 which brought about widespread job losses and a bleak job market. Anticipating a layoff, Lee sent out CVs to steel erection companies in Australia. Luck struck when one company responded, leading to a quick move to Australia after securing a visa. He worked as a Supervisor for two years in that business before being promoted to Site Manager, overseeing the installation of massive maintenance hangars for mining dump trucks in extreme heat.
After a few years, Lee felt the pull to return to the UK, but not before a two-year travel adventure around Australia and Asia, after which he came back to the UK in February 2016 and rejoined First Logistics. Lee embraced continuous learning and quickly moved up to Site Manager, applying new skills and knowledge he had learnt during his time in Australia.
Today, Lee is a Project Manager for ES Steel Ltd, finding great satisfaction in a career built on years of hard work, dedication, and a passion for continued learning and growth.
Since joining ES Steel Solutions, Lee has been progressing in his career and developing his team to maximize their potential, ensuring they are well-structured for future projects. He has been hands-on with pricing and tendering for works on multiple Nuclear sector projects and over the years projects with AWE, Lee has been the main figurehead helping establish the ES Steel Solutions brand and expertise.
Projects Lee has worked on include:
– 2016-2017: Herefordshire & Worcestershire / UK Energy-from-Waste Plant
– 2017-2018: Sellafield Ltd BEPPS DIF Encapsulation Plant Product Store
– 2020: Relocation of Steam Condensate Network, AWE Aldermaston
– 2018-Present: Multiple Projects within MENSA, AWE Burghfield
The projects within MENSA have been the most rewarding for Lee. These projects under his management, have been consistently completed on time, under budget, and with zero safety incidents, making them particularly satisfying.
Looking to the future, Lee is excited about the aggressive growth ES Steel Solutions has experienced over the last 24 months. He looks forward to being part of the company’s future, anticipating something special and significant on the horizon.