Living the dream almost 12 months into new business

Kris Heard, 34, setup Elite GSS Ltd, an engineering and construction firm just under a year ago.

Since then he has developed a huge network of contacts both in the UK and abroad but at the same time he has always wanted to give something back to the community.

Kris said: “I’ve always been keen to give something back to the local community and within a couple of months of starting my business I committed an amount of our profits each year to the Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice.

“This is a fantastic charity helping and supporting patients with prograssive illnesses at the end of their lives as well as supporting families with their bereavement.

“Having had two close personal friends that have been patients at the Hospice, I’ve seen first hand the amazing care they provide and as you can imagine it is a charity with a very close personal attachment.”

Kris has worked and been involved in the the construction and safety industries for over 10 years, designing, developing and bringing to market new and innovative concepts and products.

These would either increase efficiency saving costs, or provide additional safety for employees or contractors, reducing accidents and ultimately saving lives.

He added: “I set my business up based on this philosophy and having converted my father’s annex above his double garage, I’ve managed to create a more than suitable office space to work from.

“It might not be flash but it does the job, and again it keeps costs down, and if you’re lucky enough to come for a meeting you may get to sample my famous coffee and triple chocolate cookies!”

One of the latest products Kris recently launched was a new range of hi-visibility protective garment that incorporates a unique ‘patent pending’ Vi-Lite Dual technology.

This enables the garments to glow in the dark providing a third protective layer for anyone wearing them.

Kris was delighted to receive a national award for these garments and receive the Plantworx Highly Commended Safety Innovation award.

He said: “This after 12 months of hard work has been the icing on the cake, and hopefully in some ways it shows we’re doing something right.

“I have many more plans for the future and hope that we can support the local community in every way possible along the way.

“I might be old school but some of the simplest things are key to our success.”