LDC Top 50 2024
Chris Monroe
CEO
Smiley Monroe
Chris Monroe quit his job as a corporate lawyer in 2013 to join his family business. “Mum and dad started Smiley Monroe from a garden shed in 1979, supplying conveyor belting services to local quarries and mines. Dad was considering stepping back and I felt I could enhance the structure and add value.”
Not only has he added value, but he’s continued to grow Smiley Monroe into a giant, serving major blue chip customers from three production hubs in Northern Ireland, India and the US. As part of his mission to revolutionise the industry, Monroe has introduced a four-day working week and an ESG strategy, targeting net zero by 2040.
I want to leave the industry better than I found it. I judge everything by: “What would my kids think of what I’ve done?”
Q&A
What made you join the business?
Dad and I were at the Emirates Stadium watching our beloved Arsenal in late 2012, when we broached the subject of me joining Smiley Monroe. We’d never talked about it before. I was working 100-hour weeks as a corporate lawyer in Sheffield and didn’t really see that as my future, so I said, ‘Let’s give it a try’. I went into work on Monday morning, handed in my notice and moved to Northern Ireland four weeks later. I needed to prove to myself and my colleagues that I could enhance the business, so I started in export sales and took on more responsibility in the following years.
How do you motivate your team?
My dad’s a real people person, always knew everyone’s name. He grew the business because of the strong relationships he built with his colleagues, customers and suppliers. I try to run the business in the same way, as one big family. We adopted a four-day working week last year, which has improved work-life balance without impacting productivity. And modifying our factory layout has enabled us to add new equipment to help our teams work smarter, not harder.
What’s your sustainability strategy?
“Since 2020 our Northern Ireland production facilities have been powered by 100% renewable electricity, which has helped reduce our Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by just over 50%. We’re about to launch a new conveyor belt that’s 40% lighter and we’re collaborating with local universities and industry clusters to develop natural alternatives to fossil fuel derived materials. I want to leave the industry better than I found it. I judge everything by: “What would my kids think of what I’ve done?”
