Five-figure Small Business Loan from BEF helps Middlesbrough’s MTP Gas take flight

Think back to when you were a kid. What did you want to be when you grew up? Mark Taylor of MTP Gas began a lifelong fascination with aviation at a young age. A career in the Royal Air Force seemed inevitable.

But he’s also got the sense to listen to good advice when he hears it. A neighbour, who coincidentally was in the RAF themselves, advised him to get a trade under his belt before joining.

So he left school at 15, did a plumbing and heating apprenticeship, then joined up. There the story would have ended. But after eight years in the RAF, he was given another piece of good advice and chose to take it.

“I went for a careers briefing,” he explains, “and the chief clerk told me to come out while I was still young. Before I was too set in my ways to adjust to civilian life. So I gave notice in 1997, to come out in 98.”

“During that time, I was away from the base doing a gas course. My flight sergeant called me and told me I was up for promotion, but I’d made my mind up. I’d lived my dream.”

“So I came out, got back into the trade, set up as a one-man-band in 2003, and I plodded along for years and years. In 2014, my life changed quite dramatically and I realised I couldn’t be a plodder anymore. That’s when I set up MTP Gas.”

A decade of steady progress went by, until Mark found his business operating at full capacity. It still had enormous amounts of room to expand, but he needed some way to fund that growth.

Conversations with business support specialists at the Tees Valley Combined Authority helped Mark lay out his options. One of those options was a Small Business Loan from BEF North East, arranged by Investment Manager Antony Nicholson.

An initial five-figure loan in 2024 was followed by another in 2025. These represented two strategic phases of growth which transformed MTP Gas. Within two years, turnover had quadrupled.

Mark went from working out of his garden shed and a rented lockup to his own offices and storage units. New tools and vehicles let him capture every opportunity that comes his way. Even more importantly, he’s creating secure jobs and giving young people a route into the trade.

Two apprentices, Luke and Will, have received their career starts at MTP Gas. Here, Mark’s military background comes in handy. He’s naturally gifted at instilling high standards in those he leads. The results speak for themselves: Both apprentices look set to stay loyal to their Air Chief Marshal and continue in their roles after completing their courses.

The finance was an enormous help, of course. But Mark also speaks highly of the additional support he received: “Antony was brilliant. He asked the right questions, gave me little pushes in the right direction. I always like to take advice from multiple people on the business strategy side of things; Ant definitely helped me as a businessperson as well as arranging my loans.”

“He showed me how to get the most out of my accountancy software, for example. Now I’ve got my wife on board part-time to make sure that side of the business is run properly.”

Antony Nicholson, Investment Manager at BEF North East, adds: “MTP Gas was a solid business with strong fundamentals that found itself with more opportunities than it could capitalise on. By arranging these loans, we’ve given Mark’s team the freedom and capability to operate at their very best. Their fast growth is testament to their skills and dedication.”

“Everyone wants a plumbing and gas specialist they can recognise and trust. Businesses like this are out there every day, serving homes and businesses throughout the North East. It’s rewarding to see them thrive.”

Mark now leads a team of five, all outfitted with the right tools and uniforms. He has clear career progressions laid out for his apprentices, and eyes firmly set on his own future. 

Within two years, he wants to be in the office working on the business full time, with another qualified engineer on board. Now that his client base covers the entire country, he needs to be free to attend site meetings and represent MTP Gas at boardroom level.

Thanks to flexible finance, delivered by those who know the regional economy, that kind of success is no mere pipe dream.