A Staffordshire family business where three generations work together is celebrating 28 years since opening its doors with just three employees.
Protek Electronics Ltd now employs 24 people at Phoenix House on the Phoenix Road Industrial Estate, the same site the business was established in October 1998.
Among them are Mark Mabbley and Kerri Stretton, who have been with the company since its first day and whose connection with the factory goes back even further.
Both previously worked for SCP, the business that occupied the premises before members of its team launched Protek. The companies operated alongside each other for several years, with SCP’s remaining employees later joining Protek when SCP closed.
Today, director Rinaldo Thomas works alongside his daughter Joanne Thomas and his grandsons Gabriel and Alexander Scuotto, who are Joanne’s nephews. Stepbrothers Carl Yates and Darren Wise are also part of the team, so family ties run throughout the business.
The strong Protek team has helped the business grow from its early days supplying electrical equipment for homes to manufacturing equipment for larger commercial and industrial buildings.
Director Rinaldo Thomas said: “The electrical industry has changed enormously since Protek was established in 1998.
“Safety standards and regulations have continued to evolve, technology has become increasingly sophisticated and environmental considerations now play a much greater role – but our team is always ready to adapt, learn and help our customers find the right solution.
“Changes over the years are reflected in the equipment Protek makes. We began by supplying products such as household fuse boxes and units for garages and today our range includes larger systems used to distribute electricity around commercial and industrial premises.”
As the business marks its anniversary, it brings together people who helped establish Protek 28 years ago and a younger generation now working alongside them.
For Mark and Kerri, the milestone celebrates a working relationship stretching back beyond Protek’s launch. For the Thomas family, it marks another chapter in a business that now spans three generations, all working from the Cannock site where it began.
