© DCT Media Aberdeenshire businesswoman Tracy Clark has never been one to follow the traditional route.
Leaving school at 16 with dreams of becoming a prison warden—“a rebel job for a rebel teen,” as she puts it – she quickly swapped textbooks for real-world experience.
Her first taste of working life came at just 12-years-old, scrubbing dishes at the Meldrum Arms Hotel for £1 an hour.
Today, she’s the executive chairwoman of ITC Hydraulics, a £5 million engineering business she co-founded with her husband Ian.#
© Supplied by ITC ManufacturingThe couple’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1999 with a simple idea, a van, and £2,700 in savings — just enough to cover six months’ mortgage payments in case things didn’t work out.
Hard-working youngster
Mum-of-three Tracy left Inverurie Academy at the age of 16, ready to “get into the working world”.
Having already been working as a kitchen porter at the Meldrum Arms, she enjoyed the feeling of independence.
She said: “I was absolutely terrible at school. I didn’t think I was academic and I just wanted to get into the working world.
“I was already working part-time just as a KP, and I loved it.
“At 12, you’re still a child, but it made me feel more independent making my own little cash.”
Her original career goal was to become a prison warden, but her height put a stop to that.
“I was a rebel and I thought it would be a rebel job to have,” she laughed.
“It was a really out there job and that’s the type of person I am. But I was never going to get in with the height I was.”
Start of working career
Instead Tracy, who met Ian in first year at school, joined Walsall Conduits where she worked as a receptionist for two and a half years before moving to Stewart Milne where she worked in the accounts department for two years.
Although she loved the job, she didn’t like the working environment and joined Dietsmann as an accounts assistant in 1990.
During this time Ian, 54, started his working career at Grampian Hydraulics before moving to Sparrows.
The couple, who started dating when they were 20, became parents to their first daughter Leah in 1997 and Emma in 1998.
It was just months later they decided now was the right time to start their own business.
Ian wasn’t enjoying his project management role for Sparrows and the couple knew a change was needed.
‘One man in a van’ to launch business
They decided the best option for them was “to go on a mission” and set up their own business.
A short time later ITC Hydraulics was launched and Tracy left her job at Dietsmann in 2000.
Tracy, who has three grandchildren, said: “We spoke about options and Ian suggested him starting up on his own.
“I said ok and that I’d support him. We were ready to go for it.
“All he was was one man in his van. We saved up about six months mortgage payments, around £2,700, in case we didn’t get work.
“But he picked up some decent contracts with oil companies.”
Tracy’s job was to deal with all the invoicing.
She said: “I was sitting in a spare bedroom when the kids had gone down to sleep and getting the invoicing and accountancy jobs done.
“It was a case of me juggling everything.”
ITC Hydraulics growth
Turnover for the first year was £60,000.
As ITC Hydraulics grew, it was clear there was the potential for the business to expand further. The couple decided to rent some premises, which belonged to Ian’s parents, in St Katherines, between Fyvie and Oldmeldrum, in 2006.
The company had grown to 10 employees by this time.
Six years later, they spent £280,000 on buying the premises and extending and refurbishing it.
In 2019, the couple launched ITC Manufacturing Limited, which specialises in fabrication and machining.
They spent £1m acquiring new premises at Barra Business Park near Oldmeldrum and moved ITC Hydraulics there, with ITC Manufacturing based at the original St Katherine’s site.
The company that specialises in hydraulic and mechanical equipment, providing services like design, manufacturing, refurbishment, and repair.
Tracy, who had their third daughter Ellie in 2002, said: “We knew the hydraulics side of the business was growing and where we were we couldn’t get our turnover up anymore.
“And we couldn’t employ any more people because there was just not enough room there.”
Challenges throughout the years
Since then the company has continued to grow with currently 25 employees, one of whom is daughter Emma Hodge, a director.
The business journey has not always been easy and they’ve faced challenges along the way.
Tracy, who married Ian in 1995, said: “I would say cash flow can be really hard.
“We’re dealing with big oil companies, they want to pay you in 60 to 90 days and that can be really tough.
“I’d say since Covid, recruiting and retaining staff is definitely a challenge. That’s something that we’ve not come across before.
“That is something I would have said would have been quite a high percentage for us previously.
“But everybody I speak to seems to be in the same boat.”
Tracy and Ian made the decision last month to appoint Keith Mackie as managing director with her stepping down from the post.
Keith was previously managing director at Aberdeen firm Hiretech, which was recently acquired by Ashtead Technology.
Former Meldrum Primary pupil Tracy said: “Keith was brought in for various reasons, but the main focus is on driving growth, particularly on the rental side.
“We currently have around £4m in rental assets, and we’re planning to invest further in this area to help increase turnover.”
Tracy, who has three grandchildren Jayce, 8, two-year-old Callie and two-month-old Jamie, is extremely proud of their success and the hard work put in by Ian.
She said: “I think Ian’s excelled. He was so quiet at school.
“I see how good Ian is at what he does and how much our customers love him.
“He’s got no vanity about him. So if he’s not going to sing from the rooftops how good he is, I’ll do it for him.
“For me, I started doing the accounts and worked my way to managing director.
“I’m very driven and very focused. If I say I’m going to do something, I do it.
“That is my motto.”
