The reluctant entrepreneur
“We need to take a step back and think about what a difference we’ve made. We have fitted 15,000 solar systems and that has had a significant environmental impact.”
Interview: Sue Wilcock | Martine Silkstone
Pictures: Warren Page
Josh Young talks to Suffolk Director
Sometimes, success is achieved despite having no master plan for the future and no set career path to follow. Instead, it is found through hard work and simply saying yes to opportunities when they arise. Such is the case with Josh Young.
On leaving school he had no idea what he wanted to do or where he wanted to be. With his friends heading to London, he had a vague idea of moving to the city but had no particular role in mind. He took a computer course at college and even trained as a chef (more on that later), then a casual, part-time job with his uncle set him on the road to becoming CEO of the multi-million-pound renewables company, Greenscape Energy.
Along the way, his journey has had its ups and downs – what Josh describes as the “solar-coaster” – but his approach has always been to simply “roll up the sleeves and get stuck in”, and his innate drive and ambition have seen the company go from a two-man start-up to respected industry experts, with nearly 100 members of staff.
He describes his vision of success as “contentment” rather than conquering the world, and his motivation is more about building something than making money.
He says: “I like having a nice life and being able to go on nice holidays, but at the end of the day I’m in business because I enjoy it. I like the people and I love problem solving and fixing things. I’m not one of these directors who sit in their tower – I’ll happily go back to the shop floor and help where needed. I like to be proactive.”
Proactive and always moving forward – a good combination in the renewables industry where it’s important to keep up with the ever-changing science and legislation.
So, what does the future look like?
“There’s lots of exciting stuff happening in the world of energy, from home battery storage to virtual power plants. The issue is that people can be stuck in their ways and it takes time to shift the mindset. We need to think about education, even within my industry, so we can be prepared.
“We are in a period of transition right now, but change is coming.”
Where it all began
Josh was born in Ipswich in June 1994.
His parents separated when he was just a baby, but he enjoyed a happy childhood with his mum, Claire (and later a younger brother), at their house on Rosehill Road.
When it came time for school, he was enrolled at the nearby primary before moving up to Copleston High, where he enjoyed IT and sport – but not his other lessons.
“I just didn’t like studying,” he smiles. “I’d always rather be out playing football.”
Part of that may have been due to his dyslexia which was discovered as a child, but while some academic lessons may have proved difficult, his other abilities still shone through. From the age of 10, Josh played golf at Rushmere Golf Club and his natural talent was spotted by the resident pro, Kelvin Vince, leading him to play for the county for a few years.
“My handicap was around eight when I was 14, so I was half decent,” he says, modestly.
Just a short while later, despite this evident skill, he chose to focus on football over golf and left the competitions behind, but he still plays socially and has close friends at the club.
Then came his GCSEs, after which he decided to do A Levels but soon realised it was not for him and he left after a year with one AS Level in English.
Now aged 17, with a vague desire to work in London but still unsure of the road ahead, he leaned into his aptitude for maths and took a BTEC in IT at Suffolk College. It was a two-year course and at the same time, he began working at a local pub to earn money.
It was to spark a passion that abides to this day.
“I started as a pot-washer then after a while I became a waiter,” he recalls. “By the end I was trained as the sous chef and prepared the starters and desserts – and I loved it.
“I’m still a keen chef now and love cooking for friends and family.”
In fact, he says if the wages had been better and the hours more sociable, it would have been his chosen career. As it was, he was only there for a year before starting to explore other options. Fortunately, a family connection was to open the gateway to his future success.
Starting small
While still studying for his diploma, Josh finished at the pub and approached his uncle, Nigel Watson, about working part-time for his aerial installation business.
He would provide an extra pair of hands during a busy period, but with the digital switchover in progress, work started to dry up after about six months. Fortunately, seeing a potential open market, Nigel decided to use his experience of being on roofs all the time and move into renewables.
In 2011, AV Solar was born.
In the beginning, the market was booming due to the government’s feed-in tariff and they were soon kept busy with installations. Josh was helping on site and in the office, but still didn’t seriously consider it for his career – even when Nigel suggested they start Greenscape together.
He was just 18 at the time, with ideas about going to university or finding a job in the city. He didn’t realise he was about to jump on the “solar-coaster” and his path had been set.
Hedging his bets
In 2012, Josh finished his BTEC course and went on to the University of Suffolk to study business management. Greenscape, now up and running, was doing well but he still did not see his future in renewables and he wanted to have a backup plan.
Nevertheless, while studying for his degree, he continued working hard in the business.
At the same time, he bought his first house and, helped by his grandad, he spent a year completely renovating it (and yes, he did add solar panels). Life was busy to say the least! Fortunately, Josh says he doesn’t need much sleep.
Three years later, with his degree complete, while living in his own house and settled with a girlfriend, he was ready to make a decision about his future.
Going all in
After years of not knowing if it was the right choice, Josh ultimately decided his future was at Greenscape Energy – but only if he could help it grow.
It was 2015 and as the government reduced its support for solar, he suggested that they expand into air source heating to broaden their customer base.
He says: “It was a rough time and we had almost given up, but I thought it could be the next big thing so I did some research and training, and Nigel agreed to give it a try.”
It was the first step on a somewhat bumpy path of growth.
They brought in a finance manager, then an operations manager, taking out a loan to pay for the extra wages. Nigel bought the building where they are now based so rent was not a factor, and they started a graduate scheme for sales staff – the young intake providing the drive and talent required for such a technical role.
Things were looking up, but they were still on the “solar-coaster” …
Riding the wave
In 2016, the government cut the Renewable Heat Incentive and the industry was on its knees once more.
Despite the downturn, Greenscape survived the uncertainty and even expanded to include several plumbing teams, surveyors and apprentices.
An Electrical Qualified Supervisor was employed to see them successfully through the Microgeneration Certification Scheme – an independent accreditation which shows that the company offers high-quality products and excellent customer service.
Meanwhile Josh was covering a variety of roles, surveying jobs and troubleshooting where needed.
“If there’s something that needs doing, it’s always a case of ‘Josh will do it’ which probably isn’t great as a business owner but it’s what I enjoy,” he says.
“I don’t mind talking to customers and I’m often on the emergency call outs or fixing issues over the phone. I’m quite logical and can work a problem backwards, whereas most people don’t think like that.
“The difficult thing is to find a way to share my knowledge. How do you download years of experience from your brain? That’s really hard.”
Is managing people harder?
“It’s an area that I really find challenging as a boss, but I think it’s important to treat people with respect. There’s a way to do things without resorting to confrontation or shaming someone. I don’t want to create that environment.”
Good times
With things going well at Greenscape, Josh was also enjoying life outside of the business.
He was still playing golf and football, and following his favourite team, Ipswich Town FC. As a keen music fan, he would regularly go to gigs and was often found at Glastonbury, with his festival highlights so far including The Killers and Paul McCartney. He even travelled to New York and Dublin to see the Arctic Monkeys play.
They were successful years and both he and the business were riding high.
By 2020, Greenscape had experienced steady growth and was now an established, respected provider in the market. Looking to secure a significant volume of work, they tendered to become the supplier for Solar Together – a regional group buying scheme, backed by Suffolk County Council. They won a contract to complete 200 installations in Suffolk and were in the process of carrying out the surveys and ordering stock when everything came to an abrupt halt.
It was March 2020 and Boris Johnson had just announced the first pandemic lockdown.
With staff furloughed and the business on hold, they used the downtime and government funding to put in a CRM and secure additional warehouse space in Akenham outside Ipswich.
It would prove to be a good strategy, because business was about to get busier than ever.
Bouncing back
The global pandemic had seen energy prices soar, inflation was high and rising, and the war in Ukraine was adding even more pressure to the mix – all of which led to huge demand for renewable options.
Though Greenscape had lost the contract with Solar Together due to Covid, as things returned to normal they were quickly awarded another in Cambridge. With valuable foresight, Nigel had bought stock as soon it became available and, of course, they had the new warehouse for storage.
In 2021, the company was awarded another lucrative contract and a year later they expanded into the commercial market, offering solar to companies across the region.
Business was booming and it was time for Josh to make it official.
Though he had been a founder member of Greenscape and helped manage the operation from the start, he had never had a defined role.
Then in 2023, he became a director of the company.
“Nigel was looking to step back so it seemed the right time to do the paperwork,” he explains. “But it was really just a formality and I don’t really worry about job titles. I see my role as making sure all the cogs are working in the right place.”
The solar-coaster
By 2024, Josh was running the day-to-day – but he took over at a difficult time.
“With 90 employees and 65 vehicles, we were now a big business in our field, but we were not making the margins we were used to,” says Josh. “I think that’s mainly down to it having been an election year. That uncertainty coupled with a stabilising energy price meant the market just died.”
Wasn’t that worrying?
“It’s been tough, but I don’t sit awake at night. We’ve always been quite a cash-rich business and we prepare for the downturns. Yes, looking back I’d do things differently; I’d never look to grow in an election year again. With so much unknown it’s best to just sit and sustain.
“As it is, we have a strategy for moving forward. The economy will pick up and the government have put £2 billion into renewables, so we’re at a turning point.
“That’s the solar coaster – and it’s survival of the fittest, right?”
The next stage
Today, Josh is CEO and Greenscape has some exciting contracts in the pipeline.
Leading from the front, he has recently overseen a necessary “streamlining” within the business which has included the introduction of Salesforce as their CRM and some careful staff restructuring.
“We had become very ‘manual process’ heavy through the legacy of growth and that’s what we needed to address,” he explains. “Rapid growth is great, but you do get to that point where you need to reassess and consolidate and that’s where we are at the moment.
“It’s about being proactive. That means we have to make some difficult decisions to protect the business, but I have people around me who I trust for advice and guidance.”
He has also had support through business coaching and found speaking to external professionals provided clarity as to what needed to be done.
All in all, it seems 2025 will be an exciting year for work.
Meanwhile, Josh has recently bought and renovated his new home in Ipswich where he lives with his French Pointer dog Hendrix.
So, what’s next?
“We’re currently in a period of transition. Once done, I have a plan to ensure the business has a secure future, but everything takes time – that’s what frustrates me!
“I’m also proud to have launched our training academy which will provide a space where colleges can teach the next generation of surveyors and installers – then we can secure the best talent right from the start.
“Outside of Greenscape, I’d love to offer mentoring and I have an idea for a street food business involving baked beans on toast, but that may be a while yet. [Watch this space!]
“Right now, I just like cooking and spending time with friends. Ultimately, I’d like to settle down and have a family but who knows?
“That’s why I like to take time out and get away every few months – because it gives me the headspace to assess where I am and where I’m going. I think that’s important for all business leaders.
“We need to take a step back and think about what a difference we’ve made. At Greenscape, we have fitted 15,000 solar systems and that has had a significant environmental impact.
“That’s something to be proud of…if only I had time to really take it in,” he laughs.
