50 Years at SISIS: Celebrating Doug’s Remarkable Journey
13th September 2026 marks an extraordinary milestone for Douglas Boa as he celebrates 50 years working with SISIS.
From joining the company as a 17-year-old in Edinburgh to becoming one of its most experienced members of staff, Doug has witnessed enormous change in machinery, technology, working practices and the business itself.
Along the way, he has built a career filled with memorable moments, great colleagues and a lasting commitment to SISIS.
From Plan B to 50 Years at SISIS
Doug joined SISIS on 13 September 1976, shortly after leaving sixth form.
His original ambition had been to join the police cadets. After sitting the entrance exam for Tulliallan Police College, however, he was turned down for one simple reason: at 5'7", he was an inch short of the required height.
As Doug points out, he still had another five inches to grow.
So, it was on to Plan B.
Looking through the Edinburgh Evening News, Doug spotted a vacancy at SISIS, then based at Causewayside in Edinburgh. He applied, got the job and began what would become a remarkable 50-year career.
His early responsibilities included dealing with telephone calls, spare parts and machinery enquiries and orders, as well as regularly going out on product demonstrations.
SISIS was a much smaller operation in those days. Doug remembers being part of a team of just seven people, with everyone regularly moving in and out of the office.
And long before mobile phones, keeping track of who was where relied on a considerably simpler system.
“In the days before mobile phones, we relied on clipboards for communication. It worked well.”
The company moved briefly to Stirling in 1978 before relocating to Middlewood Way in Falkirk around late 1979.
A New Chapter in Macclesfield
In 1983, Doug received a call from then Managing Director Eric Staniforth, offering him the opportunity to move to Macclesfield and join the purchasing and buying office.
It was a very different SISIS from the smaller operation he had first joined.
Doug remembers a busy workplace with people everywhere. Typewriters were still used for everyday administration, paperwork was stored in Kalamazoo files and dial telephones were an essential part of working life.
Doug particularly remembers chasing purchase orders by telephone.
His “dialling finger”, he jokes, could become noticeably tired by the end of the day.
As technology gradually changed, computers began to make their way into the business and Doug moved into the role of Stock Controller, alongside purchase ledger responsibilities.
Around 1992, he became Sales Office Manager, adding another chapter to an increasingly varied career.
Watching SISIS Machinery Evolve
For Doug, one of the most rewarding parts of his 50 years has been seeing SISIS machinery develop.
He has watched the progression from wheel-driven machines through to PTO-powered and hydraulically powered equipment, seeing products move from development into manufacture and then out to customers.
“It’s been a gradual evolution and fun to have watched it happening.”
Asked to choose a favourite SISIS machine from across those five decades, Doug picks the Auto-Rotorake Mk4.
“It was a best seller, with the company manufacturing and selling around 30 machines every month. Happy days.”
For someone who has spent his working life around SISIS equipment, those products provide a tangible way of measuring just how much has changed since 1976.
Great Colleagues and Memorable Moments
The machinery may have changed, but Doug’s memories are just as much about the people he has worked alongside.
He has always made a point of learning from experienced colleagues and believes enjoying what you do has been an important part of staying with one company for so long.
There has also been plenty of humour along the way.
One morning, Doug arrived at work to discover his office covered in 40th birthday bunting and balloons.
There was only one problem.
It was March, his birthday was in November and he was still only 38.
It remains one of the many memories that still makes him smile.
A New Future for SISIS
Doug also lived through one of the most challenging periods in SISIS’ history.
When the business faced an uncertain future, Ian Howard’s acquisition brought SISIS into what would later become Howardson Group and gave the company a new chapter.
Doug believes the intervention was crucial to securing SISIS’ future.
The subsequent move to Kirk Langley was, in his words, a breath of fresh air.
One colleague famously remarked that they even had hot water. It was a light-hearted comment, but one Doug feels summed up how much things had changed.
More importantly, the SISIS team was made to feel welcome within the existing Howardson operation, and Doug believes the businesses proved to be a very good fit.
A Moment That Meant So Much
Perhaps the clearest demonstration of those relationships came during one of the most difficult periods of Doug’s life.
After suffering a serious stroke on 19 November 2019, he unexpectedly found himself in hospital.
The support he received from his colleagues meant a great deal, but one visit in particular has stayed with him.
Ian Howard drove to Stockport to see Doug in hospital; and brought the entire sales office with him.
Doug describes their visit as “just the tonic” he needed.
Later, when his consultant suggested retirement, Doug wasn't ready to bring his career to an end. With Ian’s support, he was able to return to work.
It is a moment that says a great deal about the relationships Doug has built during his five decades with SISIS.
50 Years – and Looking Forward
Looking back, Doug says he could not have wished for a better working environment.
He has learned and, he jokes, probably forgotten, plenty over the years, but above all he values the people he has worked alongside and the opportunity to be part of a company he genuinely cares about.
Asked what makes him proudest, Doug describes himself as being “sure and steadfast”; staying with a business that has given him so much.
And if he could go back and offer his 17-year-old self one piece of advice?
He wouldn't change a thing.
He would do it all the same way again.
After 50 years, Doug remains equally positive about the future. He believes SISIS is in good hands and will continue to go from strength to strength.
And in a phrase Doug remembers being associated with SISIS during his career, his final message is characteristically positive:
“SISIS will go on manufacturing - Steel is Strength in Structure.”
From Edinburgh in 1976 to SISIS today, Doug has witnessed extraordinary change. Through it all, his commitment to the company and the people around him has remained constant.
Congratulations on an incredible 50 years, Doug — and thank you for everything you have contributed to SISIS.