There's no doubt that now, more than ever, companies need to be on the lookout for promising new business opportunities.
Trimite Global Coatings are no exception to this statement. The manufacturing firm has been active for 80 years, and was founded in west London by the Brent family.
According to its website, Trimite has built its reputation on "manufacturing high performance and technologically superior coatings to supply a broad range of industries". To the untrained eye, the word "coatings" might just mean "paint", but the reality could not be more different.
Trimite work with a variety of different sectors, including defence, aerospace, automotive, railway and the heavy industrial market, producing coatings with a wide range of properties, each of which comes with its own exacting requirements.
"Over the years these have included high temperature resistance up to 1000 degrees on sports car calipers, chemically resistant coatings for military vehicles and air drying capabilities for simplified processes in manufacturing," the Trimite website reads.
Last but not least, the firm claims its "global outlook" leveraged with British manufacturing excellence is what truly sets it apart.
So when the Leaders Council's Jonathan White sat down with Chairman David Roberts in January this year to discuss what the future might hold for the firm, it was fitting that they discussed the opportunities lying ahead.
Despite the turbulent environment created by Covid-19 in China at that point - and further afield in the weeks and months after the interview - Roberts remained positive about what the future held.
"The opportunities in China are unbelievable for those entrepreneurs who look at developing overseas trade without government support," Roberts said.
"There are huge opportunities around the globe. Despite the political environment, entrepreneurs just get on with it - they see opportunities and they go for them."
When asked about how leadership informed opportunity and global development for companies like Trimite, Roberts similarly had a resoundingly positive message to offer.
"I think as part of leadership, you have to have a medium-term vision despite being in such a turbulent environment.
"All leadership needs an element of luck - preferably the good type - but if you practice hard enough, you make your own luck.
"I think you need drive, and I think you need what I call pure energy.
"A leader in my opinion can be spotted within two or three minutes of meeting them - they exude a certain energy, and that drives people on to work with them.
"It's something you have in your DNA, but it's also something you get from experience.
"But one thing that's also important is health - leaders need to be on it on the time, but you need to eat well, stay active and be healthy.
"And despite how much you tell yourself you're going to be number-one in any given organisation, of course, you need competence and you need capability."
Roberts' interview with Jonathan White can be found here - and for more information on Trimite and their work, take a look at their website here.
