From apprentice to operations director: Paul McLaughlin’s journey with PTSG
ECS is a PTSG company specialising in electrical testing, compliance and installation. Paul McLaughlin joined in late 2013 – when it was still a small electrical contractor trading as PMG – as a test and inspection electrician. Fourteen years on, he is the company’s Operations Director. His story is one of consistent hard work, gradual progression and, by his own admission, a healthy dose of good timing.<
An accidental electrician
Paul’s entry into the electrical trade was not exactly planned. Growing up in Surrey, he left school in 2005 with no clear idea of which direction to take. A week’s work experience with a family friend who was a plumber nearly decided it for him – until the fourth day, when a blocked urinal at Wakehurst Place, part of Kew Gardens, settled the matter definitively.
“The smell was horrendous,” Paul recalls. “I had to get out of the room and thought, I’m not doing that.” As luck would have it, an electrical contractor happened to be working on site that day, and Paul spent his final day of work experience pulling cables alongside their team. It was enough to convince him.
There was also a personal thread running through the decision. “My dad always wanted to be an electrician but never had the opportunity when he was younger,” Paul explains. “And electricians are always in work. The pay is good. I thought, do you know what – I’ll go into that.”
Building the foundations
Paul completed his apprenticeship with Peter Tree Electrical in Surrey, qualifying as a fully certified electrician in 2009. He worked through a structured programme that combined full-time college in his first year – giving him two years’ worth of technical training in one – followed by day release and then an NVQ and AM2 assessment to achieve full qualification.
After qualifying, he moved into large-scale government and NHS work with DH Croft, covering contracts across the London Borough of Wandsworth and carrying out major hospital refits. It was demanding, high-volume work that sharpened his technical skills considerably.
In October 2012, a growing family and the cost of living in London prompted a move to Kettering. A short stint with Carbonio Electrical followed, working on building and energy management systems for large retail clients including Tesco and Marks & Spencer. By late 2013, Paul had joined PMG – the business that would become ECS.
Joining a small team with big ambitions
When Paul walked through the door at PMG, the company employed around five office staff and roughly 20 electricians. Within six months, the business had rebranded as ECS, and by 2020 it had been acquired by PTSG. Paul was there for all of it.
His early years at the company were spent entirely on the tools – test and inspection work on contracts including Northampton County Council, Letchworth, and London-based work for Luminous. Over time the scope expanded into care home and social housing contracts, and a full fit-out at West Lodge Farm, before the workload shifted Paul decisively towards the office.
“I was told every year: you’re too good to lose on the tools,” Paul says. “I heard that probably more times than I can count. But eventually the workload made it impossible to go back out.” A brief period as a quality supervisor gave way almost immediately to a contract management role – the transition driven as much by business need as by personal ambition.
From contract manager to operations director
Paul became Contract Manager in 2021, quickly demonstrating what he was capable of. The contract he was handed first – a smoke alarm and fire alarm replacement programme for Settle, a social housing association – became one of the most profitable ECS had delivered.
“People were coming to me with technical questions and it just naturally progressed.” By 2023 he had been appointed Operations Manager. A year later, Operations Director.
Paul is open about the role that support from senior leadership played in his development. One-to-one sessions with Greg Ward, PTSG’s CEO, helped him understand what the next stage of his career required. Mark Mitchell, Managing Director of PTSG Electrical Services, worked through the financial side of the business with him. And John Warren – who joined PTSG after selling his own business to the group and has remained in the business since – was a consistent presence.
“John was ringing me weekly from the day I took that role, coming into the office, checking I, and that consistent support made a real difference. Mark was also hugely important, working through the financial side with me and offering encouragement along the way. I’ve been fortunate to have that kind of backing.”
What keeps him here
Fourteen years is a long time to stay with one business. Paul’s answer to what keeps him is straightforward: he wants to see PTSG grow, and he wants to be part of making that happen.
“The team we’ve built has been here five years, some of them longer,” he says. “Everyone jumps in. There’s no one above anyone – it’s one team. And we deliver. That’s what our long-standing clients say when you ask them why they stay with us. We deliver, we build relationships, and we can mobilise quickly when things change.”
Advice for the 16-year-old Paul
Asked what he would tell his 16-year-old self, Paul takes a moment. He admits he wouldn’t have predicted where he’d end up. He acknowledges that, with hindsight, there might have been other careers that would have suited him. But he has no regrets.
“I chose my career. I stuck with it. I gave it everything. And it’s led me to where I am today.” He pauses. “See it through. That’s what I’d say. Just see it through.”
It’s advice that reflects the way Paul has approached his entire working life – and a good summary of the culture ECS and PTSG are looking to attract. If you’re considering a career in the electrical sector, or are already in the trade and wondering what progression looks like, Paul’s story is worth sitting with for a moment. Apprentice to director, in fourteen years. The route wasn’t always straightforward, but the work ethic was consistent throughout.
