Our Team

The Investors – The Dragons’

Ploughcroft MD Chris Hopkins recently appeared on Dragons Den, successfully securing £120,000 of investment into the solar and renewables division. The two lucky Dragons (we like to think!) chosen by Ploughcroft are Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis. Other Dragons also showed considerable interest in the solar panels installation business, but the final choice was of critical importance to Chris:

“Apart from their excellent reputation in the world of business, Deborah and Theo are trusted household names”.

“This was very important to me, as I want Ploughcroft to grow to become the trusted household name of choice for solar and renewable energy installations. We’re one of the leading solar PV panel installers for the UK and I want our name to be synonymous with solar power, just like big brand names are with other household industries.”

Chris is excited at the prospect of working with Deborah and Theo to drive his solar panel and renewables business forward, expanding across the UK.

Deborah Meadon
Dragons' Den Investor
Deborah Meaden started her business career with very little capital launching her own glass and ceramics import company straight out of business college. Deborah then set up one of the first ‘Stefanel’ fashion franchises to appear in the UK.

Deborah joined the panel of millionaire investors for series three of the BBC2 programme, ‘Dragons’ Den’ and is now devoting her time to finding good investment opportunities, such as Ploughcroft Solar from the last series of ‘Dragons’ Den’ and Fox Brothers, the thriving West Country woollen mill established in 1772 and so loved by men of style, Sir Winston Churchill, Cary Grant and the Duke of Windsor, to name a few.

Appearing on 'Dragons' Den' in 2010, Ploughcroft’s Managing Director Chris Hopkins successfully secured investment of £120,000 from Deborah and her fellow 'Dragon', Theo Paphitis.

Passionate about sustainability, Deborah said of the investment: I had already identified the renewable energy market as an exciting place to do business, not least because it combines doing the right thing with great returns. As with all rapidly growing markets, there are good and bad operators out there, but Chris clearly demonstrated that he was deeply knowledgeable and an industry leader, not just “jumping on the bandwagon”. He was also obviously someone who gets stuff done and cares about his customers...seemed like the perfect fit and so I went for it!

The Team
A company is only as good as its people and this rule certainly applies to Ploughcroft. Having won awards for being the best company to work for, we are delighted to boast excellent, experienced staff who are loyal and long serving. We work hard to maintain a happy workforce from top to bottom, so that our customers are consistently rewarded with the best possible service across all divisions of the company.

Chris Hopkins - MBEng MIOR
Managing Director
Chris has been the Managing Director and driving force behind Ploughcroft since the company was founded in 1997. Chris’s vision and force of personality has been instrumental in transforming Ploughcroft from a roofing and building maintenance company into a modern, diverse business. His passion for quality training and expansion into the renewables market illustrates a refreshing, innovative approach to the business. Chris is even known as “Solarman” by many people in the industry! One thing is for sure – Ploughcroft will never stand still and will continue to thrive as a successful, dynamic business while Chris is at the helm.

Helen Hopkins
Company Secretary
Being female in a male dominated industry has never held Helen back. In fact, she can be very proud of her input into getting Ploughcroft where it is today. Although Helen's day to day role is to control all financial aspects of the business, she has also been instrumental in the building of the Ploughcroft brand and is a key decision maker.

Steve Feather
Operations & Resource Director - Solar Division
Steve is a vital cog that ensures the smooth running of the Ploughcroft machine, directing those important elements of a business rarely seen by the customer, such as systems support, recruitment and general administration. However Steve’s personality is such that he will always pitch in whenever required - it is not a surprise to find him on a roof with a solar panel in his hands (much to the annoyance of MD Chris Hopkins, who also very hands-on!). Steve often leads board meetings with some of our biggest clients.

Neil Holdsworth
General Manager - Building and Roof Division
Joining the company in 2005 just as the company was moving into solar installation, Neil’s challenge was to focus on maintaining the core building and roofing division. He has certainly succeeded in this goal and has even taken roofing further and recruited new members of staff to help the roofing division cope with demand. Neil also manages our solar roofing contracts with PLC’s such as British Gas, Plumb Center and Vaillant.

John Sullivan
National Sales Manager
John came to Ploughcroft in 2010 with a wealth of Sales and Sales Management experience. After joining the company as an Energy Assessor and enjoying sales success he was invited to join Ploughcroft's Management Team. Since then he has helped us to grow our solar division across the North of England and more recently the establishment of a National Sales Force. As a result, Ploughcroft and now best placed to offer our quality products and services across the country.

The Support Team
Ploughcroft is proud to have built up and retained an excellent workforce that helps to make the company what it is today:

20 solar teams, all specialists and knowledgeable about the renewables industry
8 roofing teams, highly trained in roofing and building maintenance techniques
A team of dedicated and educated people to take care of administration, marketing, sales and distribution