Whether filling bags of potatoes in his parents’ grocery business in Aberdeen to launching his own energy consultancy, Graeme Reid, 40, has never shied away from a challenge.
He is now the proud owner and managing director of Maritime Assurance and Consulting (MAC), the Granite City firm he set up in January 2011.
Mr Reid said he gained a valuable insight into a fantastic work ethic during his childhood days behind the scenes at Ramsey’s grocers in Torry.
Parents Ronnie and Sylvia and other relatives ran two shops and he was given the arduous task of filling tattie bags.
After leaving Kincorth Academy, Mr Reid completed an apprenticeship at Stoneywood Paper Mill, and studied at Aberdeen College before packing a few bags of a different kind for a bit of foreign travel.
After a year getting to know Australia, he returned to the north-east and a job as a service engineer for AAB Automation.
The new career meant more travel opportunities, taking him to ships and offshore platforms around the world. Mr Reid eventually became account manager for the UK; responsible for selling ABB’s marine products throughout the country.
He left ABB to become a consultant with Aberdeen-based Poseidon Maritime (UK), working his way up to become operations and commercial manager then operations director.
In 2007, Poseidon was acquired by global offshore and marine advisory firm Noble Denton Consultants.
Mr Reid spent just over a year as Noble Denton’s northern operations director until another takeover saw the London-based company become part of Germany’s Germanischer Lloyd Group.
The enlarged business, GL Noble Denton, appointed the Aberdonian as managing director for upstream operations in Europe. Mr Reid spent about 20 months in that role before “a yearning to go back to what I enjoyed most” led him to set up his own business, MAC, at the start of 2011.
MAC provides consultancy and support services to the worldwide marine, construction, drilling and floating-production industries.
There are now two separate businesses after the recent addition of MAC Resourcing, which specialises in recruitment; together employing 23 people supported by 15 associate consultants.
Customers include BP, Premier Oil, Maersk Oil, Petrofac, Technip, Bibby Offshore, Subsea 7 and Nautilus Minerals.
The MAC operations turned over £2.3million in 2011-12 and Mr Reid expects this to increase to £2.5-£2.6million in the current trading year to the end of June, rising to £3.5-£4million in 2013-14 and “upwards of £5million” in subsequent years.
From humble beginnings in small offices in Union Street, the company has now moved to premises in Skene Street with enough space for up to 60 employees.
Mr Reid expected the workforce to grow in line with turnover over the next few years, meaning the extra accommodation will come in handy as the businesses continue to benefit from a buoyant energy sector.
Despite only being in its infancy, MAC already has a couple of prestigious awards to its name.
Last June, the company was named the winner of the business success under three years category at the 2012 Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise.
It followed up that success by being crowned service business of the year in the Startups Awards, which reached their climax in London just before Christmas.
Duncan Bannatyne, one of the stars of the BBC’s Dragons’ Den series, was among the judges for the startups event celebrating the success of firms trading for less than three years.
This year got off to an equally strong start, with MAC announcing record orders and inquiries in the first two months alone.
The firm said it secured new orders worth more than £650,000 in January and February, a large increase from the same period last year, and dealt with inquiries that were potentially worth a further £370,000. February was its busiest month so far.
Mrs Reid’s wife, Lynne, is the company’s human resources director.
The couple are both former Kincorth pupils and once worked together in part-time waiting jobs in the Skean Dhu hotel at Altens, which is now the Thistle Aberdeen Altens hotel.
They now live at Newtonhill and have two daughters, Gabrielle, 8, and six-year-old Imogen.
Most of Mr Reid’s spare time centres around family life, but he is a member of Portlethen Golf Club and manages the occasional round. He said: “I don’t take it very seriously, but enjoy the exercise and chats it brings.”
He is also a keen hillwalker and has a passion for DIY, which fills up any gaps in his time away from work. Asked about his goals for MAC, he said: “I would like to grow the businesses in a sustainable manner and make them best in class, both locally and internationally.”