One of Cardiff’s most successful businessmen, who started his own multi-million pound company with just £250 in the bank, has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Steve Borley, group managing director of CMB Engineering, the largest independently-owned building service company in Wales, received the award at Cardiff Met’s Graduation Ceremonies at the Wales Millennium Centre.
Mr Borley has over 30 years’ experience running his own business which has featured in the top 300 companies in Wales. CMB has worked on projects including the BBC HQ at Cardiff's Central Square, the makeover at St Fagans National Museum of History, and the International Convention Centre (ICC) at Celtic Manor. It now employs over 150 people across five offices including Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol.
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Born and raised in Cardiff, Mr Borley attended Cardiff Metropolitan University as a student in 1974. Formerly known as Llandaff College of Technology, he studied building services and mechanical engineering, achieving a distinction and being named student of the year for five years running.
In 1992, when he was in his early-30s, with just £250 in the bank he decided to quit his job and go it alone. He set up CMB Engineering - named after the initials of his wife Christine Margaret Borley - and never looked back. In its first five years, the business went from zero to £5m turnover. Today, it has an estimated turnover of £85m a year.
Mr Borley also has a passion for sport and has been director of Cardiff City FC, formerly chairman, for over 25 years. He was a guest at Cardiff Met’s annual Student Union Sports Awards and hopes to develop links with the university to support the growth of sport across the City, especially around the development of Women’s football.
Commenting on his award, Mr Borley said: “I feel humbled and honoured to be awarded a fellowship at this great institution which actually started me on my journey in the engineering and sporting pathway my life has taken me.”
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The value of training up youngsters and apprentices is deeply rooted in his own experiences and his own workforce is made up of over 80% CMB trained engineers and operatives under the company’s train and retain policy.
In advice to students graduating, he said: “Dare to dream and don’t accept it can’t be done. The only barriers in life are in the mind and never be afraid to question views or information presented to you.”
Professor David Brooksbank, Dean of the Cardiff School of Management, said: “Steve is one of Cardiff’s most successful entrepreneurs and a former Cardiff Metropolitan University student, when it was known as Llandaff College of Technology. His own personal values in training apprentices are deep rooted in how he runs his business.
“Steve exemplifies that hugely successful businesses can be built from the ground up with determination. We hope what Steve has achieved in his career will act as a real source of inspiration to our students as they embark on the next step of their lives.”
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