The Bill Laird Jnr Interview

We chat with Bill Laird Jnr of Laird Estates Group, to discuss the park industry, his role, and what he likes to do when not working.

Hi Bill, thank you for taking part in the interview. Can you tell us a bit about your journey into the park industry?

I’ve been a part of the industry my whole life really, my Dad bought his first park back in 1998 and I’ve always been involved in some aspect. I joined the company officially after leaving school but before that I had done maintenance on the parks and visited shows since I was a teenager.

My Dad has been expanding the parks over the years, after the first park in 1998 he bought our Scottish parks in 2002 and 2004, two more in 2008. Since I’ve been a part of the company we’ve bought four more parks, three of which are still in the group.

Tell me about your role?

I’ve been involved in every role in the company at some point but now my role is mainly operational. I take part in the management of the parks as well as finding new potential parks and overseeing their development.

My days are split between being in the office and being on site at our parks.

Where do you like to holiday?

I’ve been to plenty of places, but I always get drawn back to Disney World. Since having my children we’ve been to Disneyland Paris, but I’d like to go back to Florida.

My family used to visit Disney every other Christmas so it’s a place that means a lot to me.

What do you find the most rewarding aspect of your role?

I like developing new parks, seeing green fields becoming thriving communities. Heatherbank Country Park in Scotland was one of my first large projects, it’s been great seeing that go from what it was to the community it is now. And it’s still growing!

It’s also nice to get out and go to the shows and meet other people in the industry. As I’ve been a part of it for so long, it’s been really good to see the quality of the homes improve year on year and they’re completely different to what they were when I started.

Do you have any advice to those starting out in the industry?

The industry is unlike that of others, it’s very tight-knit, and everyone helps each other out, it’s not competitive at all. My advice would be to get out and talk to people, at shows and at events, there’s a lot to learn from other people.

What has been your favourite professional moment?

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment but I’m most proud of just where we are now as a company. We’re at a point where we’re larger than we’ve ever been before, and we’ve taken on more people at the company meaning there’s always something going on at the parks or at our main office.

If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing?

It’s hard to say as I’ve never done anything else. I’d probably be doing something that I’ve done at Laird Estates, something like accounting. Then again, I’m not someone who can stay in an office every day, I’ve always enjoyed groundwork when I’ve been a part of it.

Outside of work, what are some of your interests or hobbies?

I enjoy spending time with my family. I’ve got a wife and two kids – three years old and three months old so they definitely keep me on my toes.

When I get a chance, I like to enjoy an Arsenal game.

Looking ahead do you have any personal and professional goals for the next year?

My professional and personal goals are pretty much one in the same, but I’d love to see the company keep growing and expanding.

Is there an interesting fact about yourself or achievement people may not know about?

I’ve visited some stranger places, including a cruise around the Baltics and Russia. Not your everyday sunny holiday but it’s nice to see other areas of the world.

Who else would you like to be seen interviewed in this series and why?

Lee Pearce, the technical director at Omar. He’s very knowledgeable, every time I see him, he can tell me something about park homes I didn’t know before.