Mike Lord is the unequivocal mobility industry entrepreneur.
He is the calm disruptor, redefining the look, the perception, and the way we use mobility and accessibility adaptations in the home. Steering Stiltz Homelifts for almost a decade, he has headed up an impressive growth story with turnover doubling year-on-year over the first five years, then continuing to grow the domestic lifts company at 50 per cent for the next four years.
An accomplished business professional, Mike combines an entrepreneurial flair alongside strong business management skills. But his core strength is creating a strategy and inspiring his teams to deliver the vision and financial success. His, and the Stiltz home lift team’s, over-arching mission statement for Stiltz is ‘Democratizing’ home lifts; for a Stiltz Homelift to be the natural choice, a commonplace appliance available to anyone who wants to add convenience and style to their home in the same way as currently more mainstream home improvements and appliances. This vision captures the mood of the moment where the drive for continuing independence for older generations AND younger people with compromised mobility means they all seek a solution for inclusive living.
And that is a tough order from an industry often laden with a prosaic, make-do-and-mend image.
Born in 1966, Mike hails from Leyland in Lancashire, and by his own admission, he was academically ‘average’ at school, spending more time focusing on canoe slalom, managing to get selected for the GB Youth Team. He then went on to the University of Central Lancashire initially to study electronic engineering but switched to business after his first year setting him on his path to success. Mike still loves the product engineering part of Stiltz despite his lack of academic prowess in the subject at uni!
Mike headed straight into the manufacturing business on leaving but it was in 1993, when he joined Sunrise Medical, that his mobility industry journey started. The roles he held here were pivotal in shaping his knowledge and understanding of the sector, overseeing sales, product development, IT and customer services. After this came the management buy-out from Sunrise in 2000 with Mike staging a further buyout in 2004, becoming CEO for the first time.
Following the sale of Minivator to Handicare, he became Chairman of Handicare in the UK for a short period; alongside this he created a portfolio of investments in new business start-ups and turnarounds. This was at the risk end of investment with Mike taking calculated managerial and fiscal risks not all of which turned out well. Bank and investor management are an intrinsic part of his experience, as is creating a positive can-do culture across management teams and the business.
Mike’s dynamic portfolio approach and continued search for new investment led to him becoming aware of the fledgling Stiltz Homelifts in 2011. He immediately saw the potential for this unique and highly disruptive product as the Stiltz domestic lift. A meeting with co-founder Lachlan Faulkner at The Ideal Home Show shaped the next decade for them. Mike and his finance specialist set to work creating the business structure needed to take the company global, investing in 2014 and buying out the other three original founders with Lachlan, creating a new Board Team in 2017.
Mike Lord has what he sees as a simple and obvious business philosophy. There are three parts to a successful business – process, people and product, and the key is getting them to work together. The founders of Stiltz are from Australia and that Aussie spirit is espoused within the workplace culture; laid back and welcoming but hard-working, focused on success and hugely competitive in the market. Mike jokes that the management team like to ‘SMACK’ their employees. SMACK is an acronym for the Stiltz recipe for successfully growing professional people … secure, motivated, appreciated, challenged and knowledgeable.
For a man at the helm of such an influential, market-leading company his calm and relatively private persona might seem at odds with someone who can deliver such business success. Mike chooses to live in the country with his wife and seven children – only two of which have now flown the nest. Keen on outdoor pursuits he enjoys mountain biking but has by his own admission had to embrace the e-bike version. He holds a pilot’s licence and is surrounded by a veritable menagerie of animals. He describes his leadership as ‘open, consultative but driven’ and this is undoubtedly working. One piece of advice he has for all aspiring entrepreneurs is not cloaked in managerial complexity but is straightforward – work hard, be resilient and find great people to work with.
Easy to arrange lots of information, No problems with fitting, payment taken in stages, last payment when job was completed. Everyone was friendly from start to finish.
My experience with Stiltz Homelifts. Just over a month ago, I had my Stiltz lift installed and I am so pleased with it. The workmen that came and fitted it were very professional and knew what they were doing. They were so professional I would not hesitate to recommend Stiltz lifts to anybody.
Great looking product, knowledgeable sales people, fitters work clean quickly and polite. Definitely recommend.
Great stylist lift, had for six months without a hitch. Installed by company staff not subcontractors. Cannot fault the lift, buying experience, installation, service. Good company ethos and made in UK.
From the very beginning with the initial construction to the finished product. I have never seen such polite men with an equal work ethic. They cleaned as they went each day. The pets were never in harm. The finished product is awesome. Couldn’t be more pleased
Excellent from beginning to end – and beyond.
Everybody we dealt with at Stiltz was very helpful and efficient, from the initial meeting with Nick Sale, the sales rep, thorough technical inspection, the builders, installers, plumber, electrician, and excellent follow up service and attention. My husband’s life is transformed and mine is much easier. Thank you Stiltz.
Elegant lift, promptly installed by careful and tidy fitters who removed their rubbish the following day. A fair price and an envied addition to our home.
I have been astounded and gratified by the levels of service we have received from every member of the Stiltz teams we have dealt with. A superb lift with exceptional service!
An excellent company from the first contact to the completed project. All personnel were friendly and very polite but stayed extremely professional throughout. Having been in the construction industry for over 40 years I was aware the preparation work was carried out to a high standard by the best of trades people. The lift itself can not be faulted both the operation and aesthetics.
The service was better than 1st class. It was excellent in every way. We could not be more pleased with everything Stiltz applied it’s self to in any way. We would award 6 stars at the very least.
Home lifts are a modern alternative to stairlifts, offering reliability, speed, capacity, and seamless aesthetic integration for a stylish and efficient solution.
Stiltz home lifts ensure safety with battery backups, obstruction sensors, self-closing doors, weight limit sensors, and ‘hold to run’ controls for a secure user experience.
Stiltz home lifts feature a battery backup for safe descents during power cuts, with an optional UPS for multiple trips during outages.
