Steve Flory
From Suffolk College Business student to Founder of a multi‑site manufacturing group
After leaving Copleston in 1975, he joined Willis, Faber & Dumas and was soon encouraged to attend Suffolk College when it became clear he hadn’t achieved the O‑levels required for his role. He enrolled in the Business Administration diploma and ONC, completing four years of day‑release study, an experience he describes as transformative. “It was always a really friendly place… a whole different feel to school,” he recalls. “You were under your own devices, and you made your own decisions.”
College gave him the space to thrive academically, discovering strengths he never expected, including a surprising love for accounts, despite avoiding maths at school. “I found it challenging to start, but then got really involved in it and enjoyed the figures side of it,” he says.
Professionally, he progressed through underwriting at Willis before moving into IT, spending 11 years working across global offices, including a year in Singapore. He later led the company’s marine group before being head‑hunted into a new role, a move he soon realised wasn’t right for him. With a mortgage and a young daughter, he made the bold decision to leave and start his own businesses, drawing on everything he’d learned in industry.
Over the years, he built a management consultancy, a software company, and a rapidly expanding call centre, before acquiring Hudson Signs, a turning point that sparked his passion for manufacturing. “We’d never made anything before… seeing something physically produced each week was fantastic,” he says. Today, he oversees a group of signage and manufacturing companies across Ipswich, Needham Market and West Bromwich, delivering major projects globally, with more local projects for the University of Suffolk, Ipswich Town FC and Suffolk New College itself.
He is also a committed industry partner, helping grow the College’s programme from a small associates group to more than 200 active partners. “It’s got that FOMO now! If my competitors are at the College, they’ll get the best employees,” he says.
Reflecting on his journey, he believes practical skills and strong relationships are the foundation of a successful career. His advice to future learners is simple: “Grab every opportunity with both hands. No knowledge is ever wasted, and always leave places on good terms.”