Still on the ball after 60 years
Member firm RAS Crockett and Partners was founded by a football referee in 1964 and the winning team has gone from strength to strength ever since
When it comes to sustained success, Dundee-based Member firm RAS Crockett has a winning team. The thriving family business was started by Grade One referee Bert Crockett and this year celebrates its 60th anniversary.
Everything began with a footballer who had itchy feet. Darren Crockett, the third generation of the family to have run the business, explained how his grandfather Bert started the ball rolling.
He said: “In 1964 he was an electrician with a big Dundee contractor. But he was impatient to go on his own. As a result, he got together with joiner Gordon Sturrock and business partner Jim Rennie to set up Robert AS Crockett and Partners.”
Things moved quickly and the company, which initially concentrated on commercial/industrial work, soon employed eight or nine men.
Its clients ranged from a large linoleum factory to a well-known local dairy and a baker’s firm.
Payment wasn’t always traditional. As Darren, who is also the current Vice President of SELECT, explained: “On some occasions, the baker settled its bills by handing over rolls and cakes!”
According to Darren, grandfather Bert was a real character. He said: “He was a useful footballer and had a trial with Aston Villa who wanted to sign him. However, my gran wouldn’t move to England, so he signed for Forfar instead.
“He subsequently became a Grade One referee and took charge of big games in the old First Division.”
While Bert was officiating on the pitch his business was getting stronger. Darren said: “We’d started doing domestic work, but in those days, we had no vans. In fact, the women in the office used to take our guys to and from jobs and sometimes our apprentices made their way to a job on the bus, carrying all their tools.”
One of the firm’s first trainees was Darren’s father (and Bert’s son), Sinclair. He joined as a 16-year-old apprentice in 1964 and eventually took over the firm ten years later when Bert retired.
“Grandad left, but was always active,” said Darren. “Among other things, he became manager of Dundee indoor bowling club. And he couldn’t abandon the business altogether – he used to pop into our offices in his boiler suit, then head for our store where he’d tidy up.”
The business was ticking along when Sinclair assumed control and by that time, things had also progressed as far as transport was concerned. “We had one van for our nine-strong workforce,” said Darren.
“Unfortunately, that meant when someone finished a job they could be waiting two hours or more before being picked up.
“There were no mobile phones, but my father had invested in pagers. The only downside was that once you’d been paged you had to find a phone box to call the office and that wasn’t always easy. Eventually, when mobiles were introduced my father was one of the first to get one. It was huge and he used to go around with the aerial sticking out of his jacket.”
Sinclair’s early adoption of mobile phones was one sign of his business acumen and when he took over the company, activity ramped up.
He secured contracts with all types of organisations from solicitors to brewers. “We were much more profitable,” noted Darren, “and the wide range of clientele and type of work he introduced has carried on. We have lots of second and third generation customers.”
Like his father, Darren joined the company when he left school in 1986 and brought with him a well developed work ethic.
At first, the apprenticeship wasn’t his only role. He decided to keep a job he had delivering papers and also continue shelf stacking in a supermarket two nights a week. “At 17 I had three jobs and earned £45 a week,” Darren said. “As part of my apprenticeship, I had to attend college too.” It had never been in doubt that he would join the firm. “Ours has always been a strong family business,” he explained. “As well as Bert, I had a Polish grandad who was in the business. He came to the UK during the war and changed his name from Bruno Kowalewski to Robert Carson.
“My sons, Liam and Kieran are also in the business and my wife Gill and Uncle Paul work with us. What’s more, my gran, mum, brother Bradley and cousin Trevor have all been in the business at some point as well.
“I think it’s reassuring for customers to know that they can call us and ask for ‘Mr Crockett’.”
After getting the firm into a good place, Sinclair did not live to see the fruits of his labours. Sadly, he developed cancer and died in 2005. That’s when Darren took over and he’s noticed some big changes over the years.
“It’s harder to keep customers these days,” he said. “There used to be a lot of loyalty, but the modern world is more cut-throat.
“In terms of work, we do a lot of electrical installation condition reports (EICRs) for private landlords. We do refurbishment, domestic work and have carried out sub-contracting for major clients such as SSE. There’s been a rise in modern, electric-based heating systems and recently we’ve done wiring for heat pumps.
“It’s clear how the future is evolving and in recognition of that, one of our guys recently attended SELECT’s EV training course.”
The current RAS Crockett workforce is made up of five electricians, two apprentices and two office staff. Darren estimated that over the years the company has trained 30 to 40 apprentices.
He said: “We’ve had help from SELECT and SECTT and we’ve earned a good reputation for bringing through apprentices.” Today, the emerging talents include Darren’s own sons – Liam completed his apprenticeship around 18 months ago and Kieran is in his second year.
The continuing success of the firm is a source of pride for Darren. He said: “In Dundee, electrical companies have emerged, become massive and then disappeared. Biggest isn’t always best. “I think the ability to provide a great service has helped us become the oldest family-run electrical contractor in the city.”
Still at the top of their game after 60 years – it’s an impressive record.
It’s been ECAS/SELECT from the start
As soon as it was set up, RAS Crockett & Partners joined the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland. “We’ve still got the original hand-written certificate confirming our membership,” said Darren. They’ve been strong supporters of the organisation ever since.
“I started going to branch meetings around 2000,” he added. “Back then there was no internet or social media and the meetings were the best way to find out what was going on in the sector. We’d share news and help each other out.”
Darren became Branch Chair at Tayside in 2013 and was eventually made Depute Vice President of SELECT in 2020.
“I’ve just been appointed Vice President, and in two years’ time, if I am voted in by Members, I’ll take over as President,” he said. “We’re lucky to have won a couple of SELECT awards along the way. In 2014, we were awarded ‘Best Delivery of Customer Service’ and in 2015 our apprentice, Connor Scott won the EMAC competition run by SECTT.”
He believes SELECT provides many top-notch services: “We’ve got helplines specialising in health and safety, and employment affairs.
“When COVID-19 kicked in and firms were struggling, SELECT provided great help. The training is invaluable and it’s easy to attend courses. What’s more, the fact that SELECT is a Scottish organisation means it’s clued up on Scottish law and regulations. That’s really useful.”
A family United
As a football family, the Crocketts are big fans of Dundee United.
“I’ve been going to games since I was eight and my dad went when the club was in the old Second Division,” said Darren. “We’ve seen the glory days in Europe as well as relegation.”
The firm has even had the chance to carry out work at United’s Tannadice ground when it completed an electrical refurbishment in hospitality lounges in the George Fox a couple of years ago. These days, their football interests are not limited to Dundee. Darren explained: “My sons Liam and Kieran have been regular visitors to Manchester City for several years and I recently attended a couple of matches too.”
Nun on the run
A brush with religion saw Darren’s Polish grandad, Bobby Carson, fall by the wayside. Darren explained: “We did work for a nursing home run by nuns. Bobby was sent to do a job and met Sister Mary who was in charge.
“She was showing him to the chapel where a new socket-outlet was needed, however, she was scurrying quickly and he was rushing to keep up. When Sister Mary reached the end of the chapel, she bent down to bless herself. Poor Bobby was right behind her and couldn’t stop. He fell over the top of the nun and ended up sprawled across the floor! Luckily, it was only his pride that was damaged.”
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