![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thebusinessdesk.com\/_files\/images\/oct_25\/Lou-Ellis-Frankland-3-247x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhen Lou Ellis-Frankland bought air management company Mansfield Pollard, she was determined to breathe new life into the 155-year-old manufacturer.\u00a0 Five years on, Sheryl Moore discovers how she\u2019s propelled the business into one of region\u2019s fastest growing companies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a tough time,\u201d recalls Lou Ellis-Frankland as she reflects on the acquisition of her Bradford-based company, Mansfield Pollard. \u201cBut as they say, what doesn\u2019t kill you makes you stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n
That \u2018time\u2019 was early 2020 and, when no sooner had Lou signed on the dotted line to buy the business, the country was plunged into lockdown. It was also a torrid time personally as Lou was going through a \u2018bruising divorce and custody battle\u2019.<\/p>\n
But when we meet five years on in her bright and airy refurbished offices, a lot has changed. The company, which designs, manufactures, and installs air management solutions for various industries, including hospitals, hospitality, and data centres, has enjoyed nothing short of a transformation.<\/p>\n
Lou, who has already had experience in growing and selling a multi-million-pound venture, is steering Mansfield Pollard from \u00a310m turnover to a targeted \u00a375m by 2030, with almost \u00a330m and \u00a34.7m profit already on the books this year.<\/p>\n
And there is no doubt in her mind that the company will easily smash its targets. \u201cThe opportunities in data centres, healthcare and retail are huge. We\u2019ve got a \u00a3200m pipeline available to us in the coming years already across a variety of sectors. My focus is on growth, investment and taking people with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a statement that neatly captures the way she operates – commercially sharp, ambitious in scale, but underpinned by culture, resilience and responsibility.<\/p>\n
Her roots in manufacturing go back 25 years. \u00a0\u201cI started right at the bottom,\u201d she recalls. \u201cQuotes, customer service, whatever was needed. I worked my way up to the head of sales then finally sales director. I was travelling constantly setting up offices and building teams across the Middle East, Australia, and the US.\u201d<\/p>\n
That global experience was her first major career, ACDC Lighting, where she worked with her then-husband. It was a true family business, grown from a handful of employees into a 105-strong workforce with \u00a317m turnover.<\/p>\n
The eventual sale to an Austrian plc was a financial and professional milestone – but not without its lessons. \u201cSuddenly we were part of a \u00a31.2bn corporation with 7,000 staff. It was my first taste of the SME-to-corporate transition, and I realised quickly it wasn\u2019t for me. The politics, the slowness, the endless PowerPoints. I missed the ownership and agility of smaller businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her drive she says candidly came with a cost. \u201cYou can have it all, but not at the same time,\u201d she reflects, quoting Ruth Bader Ginsburg. \u201cI threw myself into my career, and that probably came at the expense of my marriage and the early years of my children.\u201d<\/p>\n
A divorce and custody battle followed, a period she describes as \u201cthe hardest chapter of my life\u201d. But out of it came a renewed sense of purpose. \u201cI always try to find the positive. That\u2019s why I became a magistrate – to give back to the justice system.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a role she still holds, sitting on cases in the Adult Crime Courts of West Yorkshire. \u201cIt grounds you. You see people at their lowest, and it reminds you what really matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thebusinessdesk.com\/_files\/images\/oct_25\/Welding-300x200.jpg\")
Lou joined Mansfield Pollard in 2017 as sales director, initially on a short-term plan. But within two years an opportunity arose when the owner decided to sell up.<\/p>\n
In February 2020, she bought the company in an MBO from sole shareholder and company chairman, Alan Pollard, in what was a historic deal for the company.<\/p>\n
And while many businesses struggled through the pandemic, it became a defining moment for the business. As suppliers to data centres and healthcare, the factory kept running throughout.<\/p>\n
Mansfield Pollard served as Key workers, focusing its manufacturing on specialist air handling units for NHS hospitals and healthcare facilities to create new COVID-19 isolation wards and pods. The company accelerated into a 2 shift factory operation to meet the demand for ultra-clean air and launched their UVent product in May\/June 2020 to destroy viruses and bacteria in the air.<\/p>\n
However, despite its cutting-edge technology, upon the acquisition Lou found a company that was stuck in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe culture was very mill-style, very old-school manufacturing. Engagement was 46%. People were staying but not thriving. So, we started with people.\u201d<\/p>\n
She led a sweeping review: pay scales, pensions, benefits, customer service and sales. But the changes went beyond numbers. Cycle-to-work schemes, charity days, birthdays off, sleeping pods, a reading room filled with personal development books – all were introduced to create an environment that supported wellbeing and ambition.<\/p>\n
Her philosophy is simple. \u201cIf you look after people, people look after the business. Plenty of companies say that. We built it into everything we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shift in culture has been profound. Staff turnover has dropped. Productivity has risen. And loyalty is evident: the 20 longest-serving employees now represent 606 years between them.<\/p>\n
The business has expanded rapidly since her management buyout. \u201cWhen I bought the company, turnover was \u00a310m. We\u2019ve just finished at \u00a330m with \u00a34.7m profit. The MBO debt was cleared in three years. That was important, I wanted to achieve growth without financial shackles.\u201d<\/p>\n
That profit is being reinvested in machinery, facilities and people. The target is \u00a375m turnover by 2030, driven by expansion into data centres, healthcare, and retail.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not growth for growth\u2019s sake,\u201d she stresses. \u201cIt\u2019s about building resilience and opportunity for everyone here.\u201d<\/p>\n
And, after the pandemic, Lou also reconfigured further factory space into collaborative offices, breakout spaces and a gym. \u201cPeople wanted to come back into the office, and for me that was a huge compliment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Communication at the company also became sharper. Every six months, the entire business gathers in reception for a town hall. No slides. No stage. Just updates, questions, and 100 boxes of Domino\u2019s pizza. \u201cThat\u2019s when people ask the real questions. It\u2019s about accessibility and honesty.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the company\u2019s proudest achievements is its sustainability record. Mansfield Pollard has measured and managed CO2 output relative to turnover for years. The result: five years carbon negative, offsetting twice its annual usage.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t a tick-box exercise,\u201d she says firmly. \u201cIt\u2019s about responsibility to future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The commercial payoff has been significant. Major retailers committed to their own net-zero targets, have chosen the company as a supplier. \u201cOur energy efficiency is a differentiator. Sustainability isn\u2019t just ethical – it\u2019s a competitive edge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next on the horizon is international expansion. Plans are underway to establish a base in the Middle East, with manufacturing to follow.<\/p>\n
\u201cInitially we\u2019ll produce here and ship out. Then we\u2019ll move to flat-pack assembly, and eventually full manufacturing in Saudi Arabia or Abu Dhabi. It\u2019s about diversifying and not having all our eggs in one basket.\u201d<\/p>\n
This strategy reflects her global experience and the demand she sees from emerging markets. \u201cThe appetite is huge. And having a local presence will be critical.\u201d<\/p>\n
People development is a recurring theme. The company runs an apprenticeship programme bringing in eight new recruits each year. Currently, 22 apprentices are gaining skills across the business.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love seeing people develop, from their first nervous day to becoming confident, capable professionals. It\u2019s one of the most rewarding parts of the job.\u201d![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thebusinessdesk.com\/_files\/images\/oct_25\/MP-internal-1-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The business also invests heavily in leadership training and personal development. \u201cIf you want growth, you need leaders at every level. That means coaching, mentoring and giving people the tools to step up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her commitment extends outside the workplace. Alongside her magistrate role, she works with local schools, sits on women in engineering panels, and quietly mentors other manufacturing leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do a lot under the radar. It\u2019s not about PR. It\u2019s about empowering others, showing what\u2019s possible, especially for women in sectors where we\u2019re still underrepresented.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also works with children in care, offering both time and resources. \u201cThese kids need someone to believe in them. If I can give them a glimpse of what\u2019s possible, that\u2019s worth more than anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
With growth accelerating and markets expanding, questions inevitably arise about exit strategies. Is a sale on the cards?<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone asks that. But no. I\u2019m not doing this to sell. As long as I enjoy it, I\u2019ll keep going. The market opportunities are real, the team is incredible, and we\u2019re only just getting started.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pauses, then sums up her philosophy in a line that could be the company\u2019s unofficial motto: \u201cIf you love what you do, you do more of it. And if you do more of it, you get better at it. That\u2019s what this journey is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Why Lou Ellis-Frankland, owner of Mansfield Pollard, believes success is built on people, purpose, and perseverance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":271992,"featured_media":2144691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53262,137139,8],"coauthors":[137100],"class_list":["post-2144690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news","category-interviews","category-people","tag-featured-story","tag-yorkshire"],"yoast_head":"\n