I'm The Gaffer

Welcome to a new episode of I'm The Gaffer If you own a construction, engineering or architecture business and you've ever thought "I'll sort the exit out when I'm 65", this episode is for you.In this episode, Laurie Barkman joins Gavin Coyle. Laurie is the founder of The Business Transition Sherpa®, a former $100 million CEO, M&A advisor and strategic growth expert who helps AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) firm owners build businesses that can grow without relying entirely on them. She is the author of The Business Transition Handbook and host of the Succession Stories podcast. Her first job out of college was in Ingersoll Rand's construction and mining group. She later ran a $100 million division of a third-generation, 125-year-old company through an unsolicited acquisition, then set up her own practice to serve mature, owner-led businesses. A very high percentage of her 50-plus clients over the last several years are in the AEC industry.You'll learn:• Why so many owners have "a very expensive job" instead of a sellable asset• Exit planning isn't fixing the kitchen right before you sell: build a better business to run now• The owner-dependency test: can you take a holiday without checking email?• The bus book: contingency planning for if something happens to you• Create options instead of pressure, and the five Ds that force a sale at a discount• The 5 and 20 rule: a buyer is typically 5 to 20 times the target's revenue• Budget 20-30% of the transaction for the people helping you• What drives AEC multiples: the $25M inflection point, adjusted EBITDA and add-backs Episode Highlights / Timestamps00:00 Coming up00:53 Welcome: Laurie Barkman, founder of The Business Transition Sherpa®04:17 Running a $100 million division, and the unsolicited offer09:22 The 65-year-old mentality on a 45-year-old's shoulders11:11 "We've got ourselves a very expensive job"16:05 The holiday test: can you step away from the business?20:34 Return on time as a measurement24:37 Built By Design: an advisory practice in a box31:07 The bus book: contingency planning36:19 Create options instead of pressure39:35 The cement company nobody will buy42:24 The 5 and 20 rule46:24 Should you use a broker?48:31 What multiples are AEC companies getting?51:17 The barn in the business expenses: get clean books53:22 Curveball: what would you do differently?54:18 Where to find Laurie, and her free succession assessment55:45 WrapConnect with Laurie Barkman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriebarkman/• Website: https://btsherpa.com• Free succession assessment: https://btsherpa.com/succession• Email: [email protected] in this episode• The Business Transition Handbook by Laurie Barkman• Succession Stories, Laurie's podcast• Built By Design, Laurie's licensed advisory program• John Warrillow and the 5 and 20 rule• Ingersoll Rand• ILIT (irrevocable life insurance trust), EOT (employee ownership trust), ESOP (employee stock ownership plan)• The mood elevatorAbout Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more:https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcastshttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyhttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsitehttps://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

Welcome to a new episode of I'm The GafferWhen you've been doing the same job for years, does experience make you safer, or can it make you complacent?In this episode, Gavin Coyle welcomes John Egan, Executive for Safety, Health and Skills at the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), as the podcast returns to the studio.John discusses some of the biggest challenges facing construction safety in Ireland, from workforce competence and the loss of experienced workers to the dangers of complacency and the importance of speaking up on site.With concerning figures surrounding construction fatalities, Gavin and John explore why experience alone doesn't guarantee safety, why procedures and paperwork can only go so far, and how stronger leadership, open communication, and a willingness to challenge one another can make a real difference.The conversation also highlights CIF's 2026 Construction Safety Campaign, encouraging the industry to get back to the fundamentals of keeping people safe at work.You'll Learn:Why complacency can become a risk for even the most experienced construction workersWhat construction fatality figures reveal about age, experience, and workplace safetyWhy competence involves more than training certificates and qualificationsHow mentoring can help preserve the knowledge of experienced construction professionalsWhy speaking up, challenging unsafe practices, and improving communication matter on siteHow CIF's Back to Basics campaign encourages the industry to look beyond complianceEpisode Highlights / Timestamps00:00 Coming Up00:57 Meet John Egan – The Role of CIF10:53 Workforce Challenges, Competence and Leadership22:36 CIF's 2026 Construction Safety Campaign – Back to Basics24:08 Construction Fatalities in Ireland26:35 Experience, Risk Perception and Complacency28:02 Speaking Up and Challenging Unsafe Practices31:48 Leadership, Communication and Safety CultureConnect with John EganLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-egan-05191a21/Construction Industry Federation: https://cif.ie/About CIF's Construction Safety Campaign 2026The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) is running its annual Construction Safety Campaign from 12th–23rd October 2026, under the theme “Back to Basics.” The campaign encourages construction companies and workers to refocus on essential safety practices, promote open communication, and strengthen shared responsibility for keeping everyone safe on site.Learn more and access campaign resources: https://cif.ie/safetycampaign/About Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more: https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotify: https://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsite: https://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.#ImTheGaffer #CIFSafety26 #BackToBasics #ConstructionSafety #SafetyCulture

Welcome to a new episode of I'm The GafferIf you have ever watched a lift sit waiting till half ten while the paperwork gets finished, or wondered why so many good crane people freeze at the thought of the appointed person course, this episode is for you.In this episode, Kevin Bennison joins Gavin Coyle. Kevin is the founder of InspHigher, a lifting operations trainer, former soldier and lifelong learner with over 25 years across the lifting industry. He joined the Army in 1995 as a plant operator in the Royal Engineers and earned his wings as an airborne soldier, then spent 10 years on mobile cranes, became an appointed person in 2005, self-funded his way into training in 2010 and started InspHigher in 2020. Today most of his work is non-accredited training built around what organisations and their people actually need: advanced AP, management of lifting operations, and helping supervisors pass knowledge on to their teams.You'll learn:- The maths reassurance: if you can work out your weekly wage with overtime, you can do the AP course- The VARK learning styles, and why site teams keep getting trained the wrong way for how they actually learn- The paperwork problem: lifts starting at 10:30 instead of 8:30- The 10-year-old and the crane: stopping a load strike is trained behaviour, not a document- Start with supervision, get that right and everything else gets easier- 85-90 hour weeks, no freedom, and "don't let the story stop you"Episode Highlights / Timestamps (54:56 total)· 00:00 Coming up· 00:51 Welcome Kevin· 03:49 Joining the Army· 05:36 Starting InspHigher· 09:37 Is the AP course really that tough· 13:13 "If you can calculate your weekly wage..."· 15:42 The VARK model· 17:58 What an AP earns· 21:10 85-90 hour weeks· 22:18 "The outer voice becomes the inner dialogue"· 24:23 Crane companies questioned on lift plans· 33:39 Lifts starting at 10:30 instead of 8:30· 35:59 The 10-year-old who could stop the crane· 39:12 Devil's advocate: pay and agency labour· 46:49 Start with supervision· 51:04 Favourite books· 53:11 Where to find Kevin· 54:14 WrapConnect with Kevin Bennison- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinbennison- InspHigher: insphigher.co.uk- InspHigher YouTube: youtube.com/@InspHigherMentioned: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey), The Way of the Hermit (Ken Smith), the VARK model, CPCS/NPORSAbout Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more:https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcastshttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyhttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsitehttps://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

Welcome to a new episode of I'm The Gaffer If you have ever sent a man 200 miles in a van with two ladders on the roof rack and wondered why he didn't "work safely," this episode is about why falls from height are still the number one killer on site, and what 45 years at the sharp end of the access industry says actually fixes it.Peter Bennett OBE joins Gavin Coyle. Peter is managing director of PASMA, executive director of the Ladder Association, chair of the No Falls Foundation and a past president of IPAF, 45 years in access, from a Glasgow scaffolding yard with Stevens & Carter to writing the standards the industry works to today. Fresh HSE fatality statistics had been released the very morning of the recording, and Peter walks through what they really mean.You'll learn:• The numbers: 35 killed in falls last year, 361 in a decade, 44,000 non-fatal falls a year in GB• Why non-fatal falls are just as serious, life-changing injuries, not just fatalities• The fatality Peter's carried for decades, and why nobody got counselling• The two most dangerous people on site: the novice, and the over-55 who's "forgotten" the danger• Why banning ladders backfires, train risk assessment instead of prescribing everything• The two-ladders-on-a-roof-rack test for pricing work at height into a jobEpisode Highlights / Timestamps01:09 Welcome: Peter Bennett OBE 09:56 Fresh HSE stats: 35 deaths, 361 in a decade 14:13 The ripple effect 16:40 The fatality Peter can't forget 19:50 Over-55s: "you don't bounce as well" 27:41 Advance guardrails 32:04 "Ladders are banned" 37:44 Two ladders on a roof rack 44:49 Fatal accident inquiry: six deaths 49:29 Retirement, succession 53:00 Favourite booksConnect with Peter Bennett OBE• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/peter-bennett-obe-b3884a13• No Falls Foundation: nofallsfoundation.org• PASMA: pasma.co.uk• Ladder Association: ladderassociation.org.uk• Email: [email protected]• Sign up for No Falls Week: https://nofallsweek.org/About Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more:https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcastshttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyhttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsitehttps://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.

If you have ever hopped into a site truck because your trousers were too tight to climb, tucked your glasses under your hard hat to keep them on, or been asked "is that your dad's coat?" this episode is about why that was never good enough, and the new British Standard that says so.Jane Middleton joins Gavin Coyle. She's a senior asset management consultant at AtkinsRéalis and a chartered geologist, shortlisted for an Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering award in 2023. She started out supervising drilling rigs on the Heathrow expansion project, in PPE that didn't fit, and ended up helping write the new British Standard for inclusive PPE and workwear, launched October 2025 with a parliamentary launch behind it, legislation and European adoption now in progress.You'll Learn:What AtkinsRéalis does and how Jane's career led from geology to asset managementHow a simple struggle with PPE sparked a mission for changeWhy the "average man" became the default design standard for workwear and PPEHow Jane helped transform her company's PPE catalogue with more inclusive optionsThe impact of properly fitting PPE on safety, confidence, and belongingMenopause, modesty wear, disability access, and other overlooked workplace needsThe story behind the British Standard for inclusive PPEWhy 82% of female firefighters reported that their gloves don't fitThe business case for inclusive PPE and attracting future talentHow one wheelchair-using project manager challenged manufacturers to think differentlyWhat's next for PPE standards in the UK and EuropeJane's personal passions, lessons learned, and advice to her younger selfEpisode Highlights / Timestamps00:00 82% of female firefighters said their gloves don't fit01:02 Meet Jane Middleton06:41 From geology to asset management13:40 The PPE problem begins14:40 The Hilux moment16:51 The "average man" template17:37 Transforming the PPE catalogue24:41 Bold as Brass26:23 Writing the British Standard28:09 The firefighter glove survey33:28 Accessibility and PPE37:26 The first women's safety Wellington39:08 Taking the standard to Parliament and Europe44:45 What would Jane do differently?50:06 How to connect with JaneConnect with Jane MiddletonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janekelsey/AtkinsRéalis: https://www.atkinsrealis.comThe British Standard (launched October 2025) is free to download, send it to your bossAbout Coyle GroupCoyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.With over 25 years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and more than 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.Learn more:https://coyle-group.com/About the PodcastI'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, project delivery, and workplace culture.Listen on:Apple Podcastshttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyhttps://bit.ly/ImTheGafferSpotifyYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@ImTheGafferPodcastWebsitehttps://www.imthegaffer.comSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, construction, business growth, workplace culture, employee engagement, engineering, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.