Kevin Galligan – Branch Manager Edinburgh

From Stores Driver to Branch Manager, Kevin Galligan epitomises Cosalt's philosophy of nurturing talent and creating challenging career opportunities for loyal members of staff.  He has been with the company for over 20 years, working his way from the bottom up to lead a team of ten people.  It's a great achievement.

Kevin joined Seadog Lifesaving Appliances (Scotland), which was later acquired by Cosalt, as a young lad in the 1980s. His first job was Stores Driver for the Edinburgh branch.

As time passed he was encouraged to qualify as a Service Technician and soon found himself working with a team of experienced engineers servicing liferafts, lifejackets and marine evacuation systems.  He was eventually appointed Technician Supervisor.

With his wealth of knowledge and in-depth understanding of the marine safety business Kevin was a natural choice for the position of Branch Manager when the vacancy arose earlier this year.

"It's very satisfying to look back at my career with Cosalt and see that you can rise from the ranks and develop your career within the same company.  My job today is challenging but I love it and I really enjoy coming to work," says Kevin. 

"Essentially it's my responsibility to make sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.  I am committed to providing customers with a very high level of service and a quick turnaround. So if there are any problems it's up to me to sort them out.  Being a good manager is not rocket science. You have to make sure your team is happy, the systems work properly and the customer is being looked after at all times."

Cosalt's Edinburgh branch is heavily focused on marine safety. Its busy service station provides essential services for commercial shipping in the area.  Kevin's team brings in business from Dundee to Berwick-on-Tweed but they are always looking to expand into new markets.

Under Kevin's direction the branch recently opened a new Leisure Marine department to cater for the needs of local yachtsmen and pleasure craft users. The branch has also set up a small boat repair service for RIBS and inflatables.

"Bringing projects like these to life are all part and parcel of the job. And having worked for Cosalt for all these years I know from personal experience that if an idea shows promise, the company are not going to stand in your way."

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