TV Director turned entrepreneur Lee Rooney puts a smile on the faces of ex-pats all around the world.
When his hampers arrive full of whisky, haggis, clootie dumpling and Tunnock’s teacakes, they know they’re in for a treat – and a taste of home.
It’s very different to Lee’s previous incarnation as a television assistant director, working on shows such as Taggart and Casualty.
His family-run business Endrick Trading, based in Balfron, comprises a range of e-commerce sites, including four speciality hamper businesses: gluten-free, diabetic, haggis and Scottish food products.
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We asked Lee how his career turnaround came about.
How did you go from working in telly to starting up Endrick Trading?
The instability of being a freelance worker on short-term television contracts meant I craved a bit more permanency.
That coupled with a secret hankering to start a business led me to launch my first one.
What skills were you able to bring from your previous career to production?
Initially I thought I had no transferrable skills as the industries are so diverse but I quickly realised the backbone to running a business is communication and being able to relate to other people – and that is exactly what I did in television.
I also found my experience of logistics and scheduling in broadcasting helped when it came to transportation and stock management.
Describe a typical day.
At any given time I am spinning any of the seven plates from any of the seven websites. I could be dealing with customer queries, international distribution, customs issues or staff scheduling.
There are extremely busy times, such as Burns Night – when we send haggis all over the world – and Christmas. We start in August to prepare for Christmas and by November it’s a seven-days-a-week operation.
What are the biggest challenges facing businesses like yours?
Brexit is an immediate challenge and the not knowing is huge. We’re sending stuff to Europe and buying stuff in, so any barrier in terms of time or cost is going to be difficult for us.
You get a feeling everyone is holding their breath and waiting. Our other concern is the potential dominance of the internet monsters muscling into every market.
What aspect of the business are you most proud of?
That we’re a family-run rural business and the contribution we make to the community within our village.
We hire locally and some of our people have been with us right from the beginning. We take great pride in being a ‘personal’, internet-based company. In the face of large, anonymous companies, we go against the tide.
If hearing Lee’s story has whetted your appetite for Production and Manufacturing roles in Scotland, visit s1jobs to discover more.