If teamwork is the key to a successful business, then husband and wife Ron and Beryl Gatenby are a shining example.

Under their joint ownership, York-based Simpson has become one of the north’s leading fit-out and construction businesses, responsible for a series of high-profile and imaginative projects in locations such as Durham Cathedral, Rievaulx Abbey and York University.

Ron and Beryl joined the company as partners in 1993, but 18 months later bought out the existing owners with the help of accountant partners Armstrong Watson in Leeds.

Ron is now chairman and chief executive, while Beryl, who remains a Main Board Director, looked after the secretarial and marketing side of the business, developing the company’s branding, website, and securing Investors in People accreditation, until stepping down from the day-to-day running of the business in 2013.

And Simpson is very much a family affair. Ron and Beryl’s two sons now work in the business: the eldest, Andrew, is Contracts Director and a member of the main Strategic Board, while Chris is a Quantity Surveyor.

Beryl says: “Ron and I work well together, each of us having different skill sets and both of us passionate to create a lasting achievement.

“Together we have grown the business organically year on year, ensured it remains healthy, profitable and debt-free.

“But we couldn’t have done it without our team at Simpson where investment in training and development has always been a focus and many of our people have achieved their aspirations and progressed to managerial positions.”

Simpson’s office and joinery workshop is situated on their own business development park close to York city centre. In 2007 the company developed the current new office (the workshop had been developed in 2000 on an adjacent site) and this was followed by new warehousing and business units, currently occupied by the BioDevelopment Centre of York University and a number of small businesses.

“Ron was determined to create an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient office, mirroring the ‘M&S Plan A’, one of our key accounts. Utilising the waste wood from the joinery workshop provides a heat source for the biomass boiler to heat the office. Using our photo voltaic roof panels cool the offices,” Beryl says.

Simpson, whose current turnover is approaching £70m, have 176 direct employees, are in the Top 10 in terms of fit-out contractors, as compiled by Retail Week. The company is fully accredited under ISO 9001 Quality Management, ISO 14001 Environmental and OHAS 18001 Health & Safety. Simpson has four main divisions. The fit-out team work on retail premises, cinemas and offices in locations across the UK, while the construction team works on commercial properties, food manufacturing, education and health sectors, as well as bespoke work on rural country homes in Yorkshire.

Meanwhile restoration teams manage specialist work on ecclesiastical and prestigious listed buildings, while the bespoke joinery team supports both shopfitting and construction projects.

“We pride ourselves on a ‘Here to Help’ attitude. We give 100 per cent to deliver quality projects to our clients, and we are delighted to be delivering many repeat business opportunities,” Beryl says.

Away from the office the couple remain active. Ron is an enthusiastic bee-keeper, while when she’s not singing in a ladies’ choir Beryl enjoys gardening and Nordic walking in the Yorkshire Dales.

“My family is important to me, we are a close-knit family and I greatly enjoy time with my two granddaughters,” she says. “I gain so much pleasure in watching them grow and sharing their milestones, whether it be at home, school or sporting activities.

“I have lovely social times with my two daughters-in-law, and when time allows we will see a show, meet for a coffee, and have the occasional meal out.”

The power of in-house marketing

Effective marketing can make a huge difference to the success of a business, and for the last 24 years Beryl Gatenby has assiduously supported the growth of the Simpson brand in-house.

Initially her role was to support husband Ron with her secretarial skills. But as time passed, she took over responsibility for all aspects of marketing.

“Being a creative person I enjoyed developing what is now the current company logo and name style for signage, vehicle livery and stationery,” Beryl says.

“I also introduced professionalism to company presentations, leading to new client relationships.

“I took charge of the development of the company’s first website, which over the years has been upgraded providing more detailed information and promoting the activities of the business.

“In the late 1990s I introduced Investors In People to the business, and within a very short time successfully achieved accreditation.

“We have continuously been recognised as an Investors In People for over 15 years.”

Although she stepped down from the frontline in 2013, Beryl says she “remains in monthly contact with the Simpson team through attendance of Board meetings”.

“My vision was always for Simpson to be a company clients want to work with time and again, and after 24 years it’s hugely rewarding to know that we are so highly respected in the marketplace.”