The MGE legacy- Massara al-azzawi Mayflower high school

As I meet with Graham Martin who is the grandson of the man who started MGE, he tells me a little about the future, present and past of MGE.

I asked Mr Martin if he knew about the reasons why his grandfather and his partner wanted to start MGE and he replied saying “They probably felt that they would like a bit more control, a bit more independence in the way their life progressed” clearly showing how much of a risk both parties were taking to go forward with a partnership, but the fact that I am talking to the director after 77 years of being in business clearly shows that whatever they did, they did it right. 

Graham Martin tells me about his relationship with MGE and how he grew up surrounded by this incredible mystery of engineering, it fascinated him so much that he worked in this same company with his father since he was little and through his time studying for a degree in mechanical engineering. Mr martin is a person who not only connects with his work but with his employees too, and he tells me that because the company is a family business everyone who works there is a part of the family. 

I saw the cohesive and warm atmosphere of the workplace, everyone was friendly and supportive of one another and it truly felt like a family, like any family, there will be ups and downs of working so closely together but they seem to handle it well all in all and to quote Mr Martin “not two days are ever the same” and it clearly shows from the exciting environment in the workplace which I was glad to experience. 

Mr Martin tells me why he wanted to keep working in MGE “Personally I went out and I worked for other companies other engineering types of businesses and I enjoyed the thought of a bit more freedom, a bit more control in where the business was progressing” and you can see just I have seen that Mr Martin just like his grandfather is a true entrepreneur at heart, he wants to take control of his business and work, he liked the idea of working in engineering and working with his brother too, Simon Martin, Mr Martin says “I also work with my brother and we work quite reasonably well together” and from this, you sense a warm welcome feeling to the entire team of MGE having the family so rooted together into the community of the company and talking regularly to the employees shows how much they appreciate and care for their family’s legacy. 

Now onto the future of MGE, it’s most definitely exciting as they prepare for new projects and releases soon that they worked hard and efficiently on. “Currently we have a couple of projects that we are undertaking,” says Mr Martin when I have asked about the future of the business. MGE and Anglia Ruskin are currently working together on a project which is a monitoring product that will be available In 2024, this is something that Mr Martin and the rest of the team are excited to release as they are about halfway through in their making, it’s also an area which is different and new for MGE they Mainly focus on medical and industrial areas of the business but this monitoring project will allow them to move into a new and exciting phase of development and expansion of MGE. 

Another thing which Graham Martin is excited about is upgrading their CRM, which allows the company to be more in-line with the new technology that is progressing rapidly in our world, this CRM is happening this year and it is a huge investment for MGE which is why Mr Martin is thrilled to have this new management to be used in MGE as a permanent replacement for the old CRM. 

Mr Martin also tells me about them selling their products in Europe which also is another major thing happening for the company this year, Mr Martin tells me how hardworking his employees have been and the heavy work that has been done for these projects he highlights that it’s not just him and his brother who are working “everybody is involved” which further reveals how closely the team of MGE work together. 

“We feel quite hurt,” Mr Martin says while chuckling as he talks about the work-family he has here in MGE “when people do want to move on” With that statement, we get a really good sense of how the family of MGE work together, you almost say that it’s like when a child goes off to university and their parents feel like they will never see them again, which is quite normal and understandable for Mr Martin and other members to feel that way as they are so closely aligned with one another. 

He tells me “It’s not a hostile atmosphere..we’re all on the same side, from the guys who work on the assembly floor, putting things together there is importance down there as me up here” after meeting some floor staff I can see how comfortable and confident they are in talking to Mr martin about their issues and problems if they were to occur. 

I asked Mr Martin ‘what are the aims and objectives of MGE’ and he tells me two things: 1)To make a profit and 2) to provide healthy and safe products that they feel do a good job in the marketplace.

This leads to my next point about the medical side of MGE Mr Martin tells me that he almost feels a slight bit of pressure on his products because in his works “people’s lives are at stake” which is what makes their products so appealing and honourable because MGE actually cares about making people’s life easier and better they don’t just say they do like most companies you see out there claiming something when they’re not in it to make a difference but for the money and only for themselves. If you use a family product, you use a product made with love, and if you use an MGE product you will use a product that is made with care and precautions, with not only love but dedication too. 

When asked what advice he would give to other companies to make their employees stay motivated as many are in MGE he says “Being small helps, it is easier in certain ways cause we are all much more in touch with each other on a day-day basis” he also moves on to say “as management, we try to keep an open door policy, we try to listen to people’s issues and we try to involve them in projects decisions that we make” and it all clearly works and shows in the employees, they have so much confidence in their management team and the directors of MGE. When asked about this the employees say they have no reason to believe that no one will hear their complaints or concerns and they usually feel as though they are heard and are being treated with respect and dignity as all workers should be treated. 

“We don’t obviously tell everybody everything that goes on entirely but we’d like to keep people involved in all areas of the business, so from looking after the factory, from health and safety point of view, quality point of view, management system, the procedures of the policies we put in place to make the business work, we talk to people about it” and here it is, the Secret of 77 years of running people, communication. We overly see in the media where people speak out and say that in their workplace they are not heard or cared for and especially not communicated with. MGE strives to turn away from that and communicate with all their employees whoever they are and allow them into decision-making because what people in business don’t understand is that every decision you make will eventually affect everyone else who works there which is why MGE strictly pays attention to those small details to make sure that nobody is hurt in the process, that makes a good business, that’s what makes a long-lasting successful company. Communication. 

‘Engineers can achieve the impossible without nothing’ was a quote that I saw on the board while walking in the company of MGE and I asked Mr Martin what he had thought of that quote, he replied saying “I don’t think there is anything impossible, as long as you make enough effort and you think about it enough then most things are achievable” he then chuckles saying that engineers have a very good opinion of themselves anyway. He tells me how the company has more than just engineering there are so many important aspects to think of and that’s what makes it unique. 

I finally asked Mr Martin what his favourite thing about working in MGE and he brightly tells me “Interacting with the people here” gives us a sense of community and understanding that is rare to find in most companies. “Getting anything we have set our mind to, getting over it the line as such” therefore evaluating my point that MGE is a company with ambition, passion and dedication to all aspects.

MGE is their name, M.G. Electric (Colchester Ltd) but so much more than just a company. A family.