No-nonsense visionary with dry humour who built a great Scottish family business |
Douglas Anderson, whose sudden passing was announced last week by family-owned plant and tool hire company GAP Group, was a truly inspiring character in the Scottish business world.
Having had the opportunity to talk to him at length about GAP Group’s results, growth and strategy over the years and decades in his role as joint managing director, I saw his passion for the business and his astuteness about the sector, which he clearly knew inside-out, shine through.
What was also plain was that he was an innovator, in the true sense of what can be an overused word in the business world.
It was always fascinating to hear him recount how a particular diversification - and he spearheaded many such shrewd and bold moves at Glasgow-based GAP Group - had come about.
These tales signalled highly impressive thinking outside the box, coupled with impressive pragmatism and diligence to see the idea through to fruition.
GAP Group last week described Douglas Anderson as “a true visionary” and that summed him up very well.
His vision played a huge part in the growth of GAP Group - which now employs more than 2,000 people - into the business it is today.
Douglas Anderson and his brother and joint managing director Iain built GAP Group into a major player in the sector in the UK, with nearly 200 locations.
GAP Group was established in 1969 by their father, Gordon Anderson. Douglas Anderson joined the business in 1978, and he and his brother took over running it in 1988.
Douglas Anderson had a........