ONE of the largest shed building companies in Australia, Wide Span Sheds also exports to more than 20 countries.

With 50 employees working for its holding company, Steelx, company director Mike Folwell shares the benefit of his wealth of international experience.

At Steelx, we are constantly striving to be better, with new product development, people development and development of our IT systems. We have a nice blend of experience and initiative.

The founder of the company is Phil Gale, who has had vast experience in the building and construction industry. Phil has taken the business from its embryo stage to where it is today and it has been his drive and innovative thinking that has powered the business to its leadership position. I have recently joined the business after a career in international business with large industrial firms - such as Pioneer International, BOC Gases and Shell. I bring experience with distribution systems and current thinking in terms of business processes.How important are business mentors for young people working their way up?

Young people need mentors or role models so they can observe others while they are developing their own style. At Steelx, we have quite a young team and they are all constantly learning on the job and developing their skills by working with more experienced staff. Young people are innovative and energetic and just need a bit of help along the way to guide them in the right direction.What is your background and education history? Was there a turning point that steered you towards a career with Steelx? How long have you been in your current position?

I joined Steelx in November last year. I have had 30 years of business experience in major international industrial companies. I have a degree in business from QUT and have completed post-graduate courses at Stanford University, Columbia University and the Mount Eliza Business School. I decided that Steelx was an excellent business model and that it was attractive for me to change from being a manager to being an owner.What challenges does your industry present?

It is quite fragmented, with many players operating at state and local level. There are few national players like Steelx. Many sheds look alike, but the engineering quality can vary considerably. The challenge for a company like Steelx, which has very high engineering standards, is to convince the customers quality does count and they need to look for value, not just a low price.Is there any advice you've received that has helped you succeed? Would you pass on the same advice?

I would say to people stay focused on your objective - no matter how far away it seems. The chairman of a very large global company once said to me 'if you don't know where you are going, then all roads lead there'. This advice has always held me in good stead. You need to have a plan and you need to make it happen.Are there other leadership roles within the company for you to take on?

Steelx is a rapidly growing company. As we grow, we are constantly taking the opportunity to increase our bench strength through development and recruitment. There are always opportunities for people to step up and take on the challenge of leadership.Do you have a business philosophy you adhere to?

If a business is not growing, it is standing still or going backwards. We must be constantly on the look out for ways to grow and develop our business. We need to be innovative, we need to develop new products and we need to constantly find ways to improve our processes and align our business with the needs of our customers.How affective have you been in taking the company in a new direction. What do you see as the way forward?

Since joining the company in November 2006, we have made a lot of changes. In particular, we have consolidated a number of outlying branches into a single location to improve communication and streamline operations. This is partly in preparation to move to our new offices, at Varsity Lakes, later this year.

We will occupy the top floor of Steelx on Boston, which is one of the newest and most high-tech buildings on the Gold Coast. This will be the platform for the next phase of our growth and we will have the space we need to meet our growth objectives. We plan to continue to grow in the Australian market and have also recently entered the New Zealand market.What courses are available to staff wanting to upgrade or diversify and work in other areas of the company?

We do a lot of on-the-job training and our senior staff spend a lot of time coaching and developing our less-experienced staff. There are plenty of opportunities for people to step up and accept a bit more responsibility.

We encourage multi-skilling and find that people can add a lot of value - to themselves and the company - by learning about different aspects of the business. We also encourage staff to do external courses which will improve their knowledge base.