The Alternative Board (TAB), the national membership organisation for SME business owners, has scored its second century - by recruiting its 200th UK member: Alan Mitchell, Maltech (UK) Ltd, Chartered Structural Engineers based in Malton.

TAB believes that every business owner deserves the right for their business to deliver for them what they want out of life, and through a combination of advisory support and business coaching  helps business owners achieve this.  Members belong to a local TAB board and Alan sits on a board in York, which is run by TAB businessman, Ed Reid.

Maltech, formed by Alan, have just reached their own milestone - celebrating their 10th anniversary. Their projects have included design work on Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, the Sage building in Gateshead and numerous Sainsbury’s supermarkets in the UK.
Riding and surviving the tough economic times, Alan now wants to look ahead and grow the business. Alan said, “I realise that we do not have the in-house skills to achieve this, and having been to a couple of TAB meetings I am impressed with the format, the skills and honesty of the TAB facilitator and the other board members.“

TAB - boards comprise owners of similar-sized but non-competing businesses. Members access the combined expertise and wisdom of their peers in order to solve issues affecting their own companies. “This is the sort of real-world information that is useful,” Alan added “and we feel that TAB will allow us to make the transition from a 'tiny' business to a 'little' business and who knows thereafter” 

Paul Dickinson, Managing Director of TAB (UK), commented: “I am delighted that Alan has joined a TAB board.  I am sure we will benefit as much from his input as he will from ours.  12 months ago we had less than 100 members, so we’re delighted that TAB is moving at a great pace and that many business owners are now benefiting from our way of working.”