Turnaround - the against-all-odds true story of how a Hampshire company was saved from extinction

But having swapped the rigours of rural life for the equally tough realities of the corporate world, nothing provided Stephen with a greater challenge than when his boss put him in charge of Southbourne Rubber in Waterlooville with the sole job of closing it down. His business needed more office space and the rundown factory was seen as more valuable than the ailing manufacturing company which resided inside, ‘clinging to life by the fingertips’.

But within days Stephen had discovered a spark of life within the moribund company, its committed but dwindling team and ancient, creaking machinery. Instead Stephen found himself given two months to draw up a five-year business plan to save Southbourne Rubber’s very existence.

The remarkable transformation is detailed in Turnaround - a book Stephen felt compelled to write with ‘immense pride and gratitude’ about this victory against all odds and the bold vision which turned failure into triumph.

In May 2016, Southbourne Rubber (SBR) - a once-proud company founded in Southbourne in the early 1970s whose key customers included such aerospace and defence giants as Airbus, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce Marine - was turning over £365,000 and about to be scrapped.

Fast forward to 2024 and turnover had soared to £2.7m - a 252% increase from that 2016 baseline - after an amazing transformation which not only beat the odds but wary board members, Brexit, Covid and a war which sent energy prices soaring.

This is a fast-paced and uplifting tale which takes you through this journey every step of the way. It begins with Stephen first setting foot inside the ‘grim’ factory where his senses were assaulted by the sputtering lights which cast a ‘dim, lifeless glow’, the smell of oil and grease which 'seemed to seep into your skin’, the ‘fierce, unrelenting cacophony of clacking and clanging machinery that had long-since outlived its prime’ and the seven staff holding the company together ‘each looking like they’d been to hell and back’.

But from these harsh beginnings, a phoenix was about to arise. In short, sharp chapters Stephen outlines the steps taken to overhaul the company from top to bottom. No milestone is missed - from staff training and taking on apprentices, to creating up-to-date office management systems from paper files and streamlining production processes, to buying in modern machinery and overhauling the whole building, inside and out.

As Stephen reflects, each of these steps tell a story of ‘transformation, resilience and ambition’. It’s an inspiring story which will give an insight to anyone looking at what can be possible through business transformation. It wasn’t an easy journey but: ‘Southbourne Rubber’s story proves that anything is possible with vision, determination and a team which believes in the mission’

Turnaround by Stephen Wilde is on sale now from Amazon.