LDC Top 50 2024
Peter and Steven Easton
Founders
Green Home Systems
Brothers Peter and Steven Easton have been building businesses together since their teens. “Our father was an entrepreneur so that’s all we have ever known,” says Peter. While developing a property portfolio they saw the opportunity to develop a second business, retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient LED bulbs. This is how Green Home Systems began in 2014.
Today the Ayrshire company has 100 staff and supplies every single energy-efficient home improvement product on the market. Steven attributes his success to “the fire in our bellies”. “We plan to triple the turnover of the business to £50m within three years,” adds Peter. “We are on a mission to eradicate fuel poverty.”
We are on a mission to eradicate fuel poverty.”
Q&A
What drives you?
Steven: Fuel poverty is a huge issue and the cost-of-living crisis has made things worse. Most homes in the UK could be more energy efficient and we are excited about both the scale of the opportunity and the fact our solution reduces energy bills and carbon emissions at the same time.
Tell me about a challenging time?
Peter: The Covid-19 pandemic was really challenging for us; our turnover fell to zero because we couldn’t cross the threshold of our customers’ homes. We used that time to invest in the business, hiring a new senior management team, rebranding, and developing new technologies and infrastructure. That enabled us to go from £5m to £17m in just one year.
Why is ambition important for a healthy economy?
Steven: It’s the most important thing to the Scottish economy. Ambition drives you to risk everything – your money, your reputation – to create a business. Society reaps the rewards in the form of jobs. Good jobs don’t just create themselves.
