PENTAGON BOSS PICKS UP SKILLS BATON

Phil Black - PII Editor 21/08/2009

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THE man responsible for turning round the fortunes of chemicals business Pentagon is now picking up the baton for UK skills.

Glasgow-born Allan Laing, who led a management buyout that transformed two ailing companies into an award winning, Â£40m specialities and fine chemicals business in five years, has joined the main board of the National Skills Academy Process Industries.

Set up and led by employers, the Academy is charged with helping them get to grips with crucial skills issues across the polymers, chemicals, pharmaceutical and downstream petroleum industries.

It works with a bank of accredited training providers using fit-for-purpose products to help businesses identify and plug skills gaps in their training and development frameworks, in order to sustain skilled workforces.

Pentagon Chief Executive Allan Laing has 35 years experience in the chemical sector, graduating from the University of Strathclyde with an honours degree in chemical engineering before starting his career with ICI in 1975. Pentagon now employs 170 staff across two sites in the North West, specialising in the core technologies of phosgenation, Grignards, sodium dispersion, bromination, chlorination, Vilsmeier and maleic anhydride chemistry in support of the industrial and life science markets.

Mr Laing said: Following the MBO in mid-2002, the Workington-based business has continued to improve its performance and much of its success can be attributed to our focus on skills which has helped achieve world-class manufacturing standards. We made a major acquisition less than two years after the MBO which was a real challenge. Organisational and financial restructuring was required to return the business to profit and, again, the skills of people played a major part in our recovery.

The Academys ethos of for employers, by employers™ is at the heart of its work – it is vital that employers themselves take ownership of their skills issues and implement action.

I am very pleased to be joining an experienced board with a good balance of industrialists and NSA stakeholders who understand the practical skills issues involved in running a successful business, and who can pass on that experience to others. The process industries are going through a period of great change and the skills we need today are not necessarily those we will need tomorrow, and we need to plan for that.

For instance we have an ageing workforce, not enough young people coming through and a trend for much of the young talent going into other sectors because of a misconception about process industries careers. Added to that, we are seeing a rising demand for new, green collar workers to service the growing bio markets.

At Pentagon we encourage people to engage in their own career development and then give them the opportunities to progress. Upskilling the workforce, creating an apprenticeship programme and making sure we were constantly monitoring our skills platform and equipping our people with the skills needed to match the business plan plays a major part in our success. I see in my role a chance to help other companies to benefit from our experience and get to grips with the issues that, if not addressed, will hamper their future success when the economic upturn comes.

The Academys main board is supported by five regional boards, made up of local employers in the key process industries concentrations of the North West, the North East, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the South-East and London. Laing is also Chair of the North West Regional Skills Board, which directs the Academys activities across the region.

Academy Chief Executive Phil Jones said: We are delighted to welcome Allan to the board. His hands-on experience and straight-talking approach to dealing with the skills problems that the industries face will add weight to our efforts to help employers create the best possible workforce on which to base their future success.

Allan Laing is also a member of the European Fine Chemicals Group Board within the European Chemical Industry Council, and is Chairman of the Agrochemical and Intermediates Manufacturers Europe.