Page 21 - GAP 50th Anniversary Book

Celebrating 50 years of GAP /
Uninspired by school, but with
exceptional determination, Douglas was
itching to get into the working world. By
the time he left Glasgow Academy at 17,
he already had three years’ experience
of “working and doing deals”, buying
and renovating old cars and motorbikes,
using the profit from the sale to
purchase larger vehicles.
By now GAP was well established.
However before entering his business,
Gordon insisted his offspring “gained
experience at someone else’s expense.”
Douglas found his first job with
the Caterpillar dealer Finning (then
Caledonian Tractor & Equipment), and
spent four years working in their Parts
department. He joined GAP in 1978,
starting in the Kinning Park depot in
an Operations role on the hire desk,
organising deliveries and taking orders
over the phone.
From here he moved into Sales as an
Area Sales Representative, where he
had “a duplicate book and no training”.
Then, when the General Manager of
GAP’s Prestwick depot retired, Douglas
took on this role, successfully running
the Ayrshire depot for several years.
In 1984, with Iain now also on board, Douglas then turned his attention to
Douglas handed the Prestwick site over diversifying and adding new specialist
to his younger brother and ventured divisions, beginning in 2009 with Non-
off to look for new business premises Mechanical Plant.
on the east coast. He settled on
Edinburgh’s Sighthill, opening a depot
which still exists to this day. With the wider GAP Group now having eight divisions
and the next generation of Andersons involved in the
It was during this time in Sighthill business, Douglas is preparing to step back very slightly.
that Douglas heard wind of a tool hire However, full-time retirement doesn’t interest him:
company called HMS being up for sale. He
discovered it was owned by Henderson
Plant in Newcastle and discussed a My head is bursting with things
possible acquisition with his father. to do. I’ll do them when I’m
Gordon was fully supportive of the idea ready and the time is right.”
and in March 1986 signed a deal with the
major shareholder, Tony Griffiths.
Douglas’s intuition and the subsequent
purchase of this company would prove
to be a turning point in GAP’s fortunes,
taking them into tool hire, and offering
a presence south of the border. Shortly
afterwards, Douglas left Sighthill and
moved into a developmental role based
in the Glasgow HQ, becoming joint
Managing Director with Iain in 1988.
From here Douglas put into action a
20-year strategy to achieve national
coverage. Having succeeded by 2007,
Douglas Anderson in his office at Carrick Street, Glasgow.
/ Chapter 03 21