She’s the well-grounded managing director of a fast-growing firm.

And Emma Lewis has plenty to smile about at Shelley-based Rogers Geotechnical Services (RGS).

The ground investigations specialist – which last year marked “a decade of drilling” – has reported strong trading figures for the first half of 2015 and is projecting 30% growth this year.

Among highlights so far, the firm, based in offices at Barncliffe Business Park and employing 22 people, logged its 5,000th enquiry since operations director Chay Rogers launched the business with a single rig, just one engineer and a small laboratory.

It also passed recent audit inspections with flying colours – and secured a Business of the Month award from Huddersfield law firm Eaton Smith.

The company, which also features Chay’s son Steve as technical director, is now on course to achieve almost £1m turnover by the autumn – easily exceeding its targets – on the strength of its glowing reputation with a strong and diverse client base.

Says Emma: “Looking ahead, current tender numbers and values are higher than previous years and are certainly more consistent month on month.

“We are therefore anticipating the orders to continue coming strongly for the rest of the year.”

The former Shelley High School student, who graduated in law before changing career course, has no doubts about the secret of the firm’s success.

It’s an emphasis on expertise and professionalism, old-fashioned family values, competitiveness, straight forward pricing and first class service, she says.

“We are driven by a team of directors who work in the business every day, supported by highly motivated and loyal staff,” says Emma. “It’s very much a team effort.”

Emma grew up in Kirkheaton, but has also lived in Shelley and Skelmanthorpe before moving to Kirkburton nine years ago, where she lives with eight-year-old son Alex.

She gained her law degree in 2003 at Sheffield University – having work-shadowed Eaton Smith partner Andrew Sugden when she was at school.

But sipping coffee in The Old Canteen – conveniently next door to the RGS offices – she candidly admits: “I got the degree, but I realised law wasn’t what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

“I wanted to be happy at work. A number of people have said ‘think about how much money you can earn as a lawyer’. But money doesn’t motivate me. I believe you have to do what you are passionate about.

“You spend a lot of hours at work, so you ought to make sure you are happy doing it!”

Her legal training does come in handy, though. Emma’s a dab hand at scouring contracts and spotting the pitfalls in the small print – a skill which has undoubtedly saved RGS thousands of pounds over the years.

“There are a number of times in business where companies sign up to terms and conditions which they haven’t even read or don’t understand,” says Emma.

Emma joined the company to handle administrative and financial matters – complementing Steve and Chay’s operational and technical skills.

She now deals with a vast array of day-to-day issues such as business management, finance, human resources, PR and marketing as well as administration, sales, quality assurance and training.

“Steve had a lot of contacts, which started things moving for the firm,” she says. “It wasn’t difficult to get business, there was a housing boom at the time and plenty of work available.

Emma Lewis, Managing Director of Roger Geotechnical services..

“That changed with the recession, but we were able to diversify – and early in the recession, there was still a lot going on in the industrial sector.”

RGS handles all aspects of site investigation for the construction, property development and insurance industries – covering areas such as ground contamination, subsidence, slope stability and ground improvements.

“We started to get involved with some big contracts,” says Emma. “We worked for much of 2010 to 2012 on numerous bridges damaged as a result of the Cumbria floods, providing drilling rigs and supervision for contractors on site.

“There were also a couple of big slope failures, so we were getting more heavily involved in infrastructure schemes.”

More recently, the firm’s specialist expertise has been called on to test ground stability on sites where cranes are required, where wind turbines are proposed and where solar farms are planned.

In 2013, RGS was engaged by the Welsh environment agency to investigate an alleged breach of landfill regulations and act as an expert witness. Recalling her legal background, Emma says: “I had quite a lot to do with that one!”

Says Emma: “Since the end of the recession, the housing sector has started moving again. I don’t think we will get back to the levels of activity we saw before the crash, but the small to medium-sized developers are doing a lot at the moment. A lot of them were very quiet between 2009 and 2012.”

RGS operated from premises at Emley Business Park between 2006 and 2012 before the firm moved to its current Shelley address.

Commuting is hardly an issue as almost all its employees live within a four-mile radius of the offices.

Emma describes RGS as a “small cog in a big wheel” but says: “The most rewarding thing is that our customers keep coming back to us.

“What I enjoy the most is being involved in so many aspects of the business.

“As MD I also need to have a good understanding of what’s going on operationally and technically. I have worked on drilling rigs and I take an interest in what’s happening in the lab.”

Much as she loves her work, Emma stresses the value of achieving a work-life balance. “Weekends are very much about me and Alex,” she says.

“I also spend time in the gym, which allows me to switch off from work and I’m also involved in fundraising for Alex’a school at Farnley Tyas.

“I have a close network of friends and we try to do something one day a week or at a weekend. I also enjoy long walks with my dogs. I recently went for a 10-mile walk without the dogs – and that felt strange!

“The good thing about dogs is that they’re always pleased to see you and they don’t answer back!”

Role: Managing director

Age: 34

Family: Son Alex, eight

Holidays: I went to America at Easter to see friends in Dallas and I went to Kenya on a safari about 10 years ago. I’d love to go back to Africa

Car: I drive a Suzuki Ignis. It’s old but it gets me from A to B and that’s all I need!

First job: I was a waitress at the Woodman Inn, Thunderbridge

Best thing about the job? The variety. Everyone in our business will tell you there are no two days the same. I enjoy being involved in so many aspects of the business

Worst thing about the job? I could sometimes do with a magic wand!

Business tip: Recognise when you need to take on an external specialist to help you. There’s nothing worse than trying to do something for which you haven’t been trained when there are people out there who can do it for you.

Work: Ground investigation

Site: Barncliffe Business Park, Shelley

Phone: 08435 066687

Email: enquiries@rogersgeotech.co.uk.

Web: www.rogersgeotech.co.uk