Blue chip customers

Automotive glazing company 1st Call Windscreens based at The Glenmore Business Centre has had a tricky year with the recession hitting the motor industry and small companies, but despite everything, its services for replacement windscreens, have not only succeeded, but the company is taking on an apprentice this year.

Set up 14 years ago by managing director David Lamb, the Sittingbourne firm with its policy of employing local people replaces and repairs windscreens locally and nationally for both domestic and commercial vehicle users. In the past year the company also secured a contract with one of the UK's main utility firms, EDF Energy.

Staff training is paramount and Mr Lamb insists that all technicians complete an NVQ 2 in glass installation which involves stone chip repairs and health and safety glass handling.

The firm is fully accredited and has a blue chip pedigree list of customers including Lancaster Aston Martin, Beadles and Jaguar.

Mr Lamb said:" This year we were challenged by the heavy snow trying to get to our customers, but we made it. We are pat125 registered and all our products are traceable and are recycled by local accredited companies.

"All the staff have reached NVQ2 level and multi task from answering the phone to dealing with customers' windscreens. One of the reasons I've taken on an apprentice is not only do I believe in local jobs for local people, but when I first arrived here in 1984 I was afforded that opportunity and it's my turn to pay back in a small way."

Top international clientele

A boldly run 10 year old family business with an international market makes Creative Resins Distribution Limited an unusual and exciting company.

Based at Eurolink, in Sittingbourne, the company which enjoys making 80 per cent of its turnover abroad, hired part of the British Embassy in Japan last year to entertain local business people and show off its resin products. It has even used its decorative resin products to create glass wedding invites for a Middle Eastern client.

The company has ridden the recession very well due to its dealing with a large number of countries and mixed use of its products.

Managing director Michael Bollom said:" We are the only ones locally and nationally offering the guarantees on the sealant resins that we do

"We have very unique products so are able to offer top quality service. We have fantastic relationships with our customers, listen to their needs and if they require a new product in one area we do our best to make it.

"Our boat glaze applicator has glazed many of the Middle East royals boats (moored in France), formula one and football club owners' boats. Airlines using our products are Virgin, British Airways, Singapore Airways and Qantas
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"In the last year alone we have travelled to Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Japan, the US, Oman, Dubai, Saudi just to promote the products and each time we have returned with orders. We also take a stand at the London Boar Show.

" We started this sealant glaze business from scratch and now have distribution agents all over the world.. We love what we're doing and there are no boundaries stopping our expansion."

Alliance proves co-operative

Sittingbourne based Eurobond Adhesives Limited has been supplying high tech adhesives to industry throughout Europe and at home since 1984. In addition to its own range of products, the company is the exclusive UK distributors of Panacol Adhesives, Honle UV light sources and measuring equipment and Reinhardt Technik metering, mixing and dispensing machines for one and two-part silicone polyurethane and polysulphide material. Customers range from Jaguar cars to Warner Bros films.

However challenges arose when EU legislation meant the company had to reformulate a number of its products and the strength of the Euro proved a headache.
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Eurobond Adhesive Ltd's expertise covers many different sectors including, automotive, transport, marine, aerospace, medical device, architectural metalwork and commercial signage, glass and acrylic bonding, sheet metal fabrication, electronics, white goods manufacturing, smelting/foundry, general engineering, construction, scientific, opto-electronics, structural glazing, IG units and edge bonding

Staff training is of paramount importance with this company as it formulating trade partnerships.
Managing director Simon Dearing said:" Every member of staff including admin is multi-skilled, being fully qualified in both first aid and fork lift truck operations as well as their main roles.

"The warehouse personnel have a working knowledge of the admin functions and together with the sales people, have NVQ\'s Level 2 in business administration and leadership.

"We also formed an alliance with 17 other privately owned companies around Europe and work as a co-operative having a central research and development laboratory from which we all benefit from new adhesive formulations.

"Meetings are each quarter to discuss new products, applications and routes to market. We all sell the same brand so are recognised globally, but have local supply and can offer customers technical support."

Seven day opening a winner

Starting up business as the economy was going into recession is challenging, but clever ideas can ride the storm and this is exactly what's happened to father and son owned Sittingbourne firm Magic Mend, Trim & Alloy Repairs.

Making improvements to your current car has proved an only option for many owners and offering a service of refurbishing alloy wheels, repair interior trim and recondition leather seats and furniture has been a service in demand.

Opened only two years ago, this progressive company works seven days a week and bank holidays to fit in with its customers requirements.

Manager Helen Jones said:" We encourage customers to repair rather than replace and buy, refurbish and sell on alloy wheels, so are recycling wheels that might have been disposed of.
"We have developed relationships and work closely with local businesses so we can help each other. We try whenever possible to use local suppliers for our materials and services needed."

The company has a number of well known countywide and South London clients and has also built up a considerable business selling on eBay and delivering to a large number of countries.

Ethical property deals

Victims of domestic violence feature heavily in Steven and Hasmita' Reardon's business of offering homes to let to people forced to flee their aggressive partners.

The first of its kind in the UK, Reardon Properties purchases, builds then rents homes and also manage other landlords letting books and word of mouth has been the main advertising focus

Started in 1997 the company has had to work around the lack of money for new build in the recession.

Hasmita said: "The drying up of the lending market has been frustrating so to increase our portfolio we got planning permission to convert some houses into flats. As the housing market isn't good, we have got involved in other projects and formed a landlords' forum with support from Swale Borough Council, so we all help each other.

" The other challenges is dealing with heavy government legislation for landlords and direct benefit payments to tenants, I tackled this by asking the tenants to pass the cheque to me direct which than protects them from ending up in a homeless situation with rent arrears."

The Reardons do a lot of voluntary work in Swale and came up with the idea of a domestic violence emergency property which is now multi agency supported.

Mrs Reardon continued:: "This gives women and children respite time after leaving their difficult situation. There are only 200 refuges throughout the country and women don't always want to leave the area with their children. They just want some peace and quite and break from the cycle of violence.

"If the women need a property than our company will house them through the rent deposit scheme and continue to support them. If I manage to save one life than it will all be worth it.

"I am so proud to say that the plan has worked and many women and children have benefited from the safe house. The domestic violence property idea is first in the country done by a landlord and Swale is the only council area to offer this service."

Award winning designs

The 18-year old company based at Milton Regis fits out pharmaceutical, optical and some top supermarket chain premises. Most of these jobs are bespoke, craftsman built and some of the company's designs have been award winning.

The fitters are constantly aware they have to work around customers' daily schedules no matter how challenging, but promise to meet deadlines seeing them as non negotiable. This can be challenging with the pharmaceutical industry where hours are regulatory.

Working all over the UK and Ireland and on some international contracts, the 23 employees have helped build the company up to a point where jobs come in by word of mouth. The willingness to work as a team has helped Summit Retail Display Ltd remain competitive without losing quality and led to its ability to beat the economic downturn.

Making the borough brighter

Word of mouth and satisfied customers are what has made Blenwood Grounds Maintenance Ltd based at Sittingbourne's Eurolink Estate a successful company.
Providing a wide range of grounds' maintenance, landscaping and tree works for local authorities, the firm also works for housing associations and private clients many of whom are in Swale borough and Medway Council areas.

The recent local authority public spending cutbacks impacted on the company, but they have ridden the rough waters and moved on without losing a single staff member.

Senior contracts manager Andy Blaszkowicz said: "We are still a relatively small company yet can offer all the services of much larger firms and are accredited with the British Standards Institute for our management and environmental systems and offer in house NVQ training free to all of our employees.

"We employ two ‘in bloom' coordinators who liaise with the general public, schools and the in bloom committees. We have been responsible for improving the appearance of all of the towns within the Swale Borough and have won many awards and medals."

The company also runs a machinery repair and sales section in its fully equipped workshop where any task is undertaken from complete engine strip down and re-builds through to cylinder grinding. Staff are also happy to repair broken down equipment.

Mr Blaszkowicz added:" We have been running a successful company for eight years employing local people. We have a sustainable future and a very stable workforce.

"We have demonstrated commitment to the industry and all of our clients through gaining accreditation for our management and environmental systems ISO 9001:2008 and ISO14001:2004. We have also recently started an NVQ training programme in amenity horticulture level two and our first four students have just passed. This demonstrates our commitment to our workforce and customers."

Polishing up on a good job

When you're a small body repair shop the only way to survival is to offer a quality job and Dunkirk Body Shop based in London Road, Dunkirk prides itself in offering the best at a fair price.

Having built the company from scratch three years ago, owner Steve Abramet has worked hard offering as many services as possible and from that scratch on the side of your car, to full restoration, he will turn his hand to almost anything and word has spread that the company has happy customers.

The colour spray products used are subject to environmentally friendly regulations and are water based. Services offered range from insurance jobs to bumper scuffs, dents, polishing, fibreglass, welding and plastic repairs. Types of vehicles are across the board from cars, to motorcycles and even motor homes.

Looking ahead Mr Abramet says: "It's not the size of company that counts, but what you do with it. I am creating a reputation for a first class service and results which I shall build upon."

Green fingered product

Testimonials are a great business marketing tool and lawn treatment firm GreenThumb has numerous from its 8000 a day customer base.

The holding company D & J Lawrence Ltd trading as GreenThumb is based at the Regis Business Park and has been helping create stunning lawns with the use of its unique treatment system for the past 20 years. The treatment programme is finely balanced to ensure a lawn gets the right food at the right time throughout the year.

Thousands of are reckoned to be using it and GreenThumb experts will tailor a site-specific solution to a lawn's exact requirements.

Director James Gray says the ups and downs of our weather in recent years has meant the firm having to adapt its treatments. The company is now the UK's biggest lawn treatment service with 11 employees helping mainly domestic lawn owners and on one job the staff member caught a burglar.

Mr Gray sees the end result as a giving a better quality of life for its customers and the streets they live in. Aftercare is just as important and the firm offers free advice on any lawn aspect from disease analysis to which lawnmower to buy. There is a regular newsletter and an email offering seasonal tips along with free service calls.

Jargon free website developers

It's now recognised every company needs its own website and amateur efforts do not impress customers. With five highly trained staff, CS One is an expert in working out exactly what the customer should have in the short time of a two-hour interview at its Tonge offices. The company also promotes itself with a regular newsletter and offers e-marketing tips.

Asked what makes them different from other designers, partner Mik Larkin, formerly a national newspaper cartoonist replied: "Incredibly difficult to say, but our clients seem to genuinely like us.

"We work in a beautiful studio in a picture postcard setting which is great for us creatives and popular with our clients. We're really good at what we do and that's not being big headed, just confident in our abilities. We work ‘green' and are environmentally aware, recruit and purchase locally and support local good causes. We speak plain English, not jargon and put everything clearly in writing to avoid misunderstandings."

The company also works with clients in the EU, USA and the Middle East. Mr Larkin says all his clients are interesting and some are unusual such as a professional footballer who runs a carp fishing lake in France, an award winning rock star and various entrepreneurs, some of whom run international operations.

Selling the news

Based at Market Place, F\aversham Mrs Yates sees the shop as being at the heart of the community and other traders. She has even formed a Faversham traders group to increase footfall into the town and many of the shops now open additionally on the last Sunday of the month which they've called special Sundays, complete with entertainment.

Carters is a shop selling practically everything from convenience foods such as coffee, tea, pies and even taking cake orders for the local bakery as well as selling them.

There are 14 news deliverers one being a 63 year old who swears he saw werewolf on his round. He now carries a rosary to ward them off.

Mrs Yates regularly scratched the card for sight impaired regular who couldn't believe his luck when his £500 winning came up.

Carters also advertises and promotes a local animal rehoming centre sponsoring a dog there called Ollie.

Mrs Yates said: "We try to make everyone feel they have received a good and friendly service. Faversham is known as the market town of kings and I don't think we make the most of that connection. It would be so good to have a Victorian Christmas festival here and develop our local attractions more."

Working with film stars

It's not every day a film company comes along to ask if you'd help them out, but for radio control model enthusiast Mark Tilbury it was the chance to take part in the film Black Hawk Down starring Ewan McGregor by flying all the model aircraft.

Sittingbourne born Mr Tilbury is Century UK's managing director and is based at Anchor Business Park designing and improving radio controlled models and exports to the EU.

The model range is lengthy and the firm supplies ready to fly aircraft, kits, spare and body parts and Ishima cars and parts.

To be hit by new regulations right in the middle of a recession is challenging, but the company just took it in its stride.

Last year all model frequencies changed from 35mhz to 24ghz which placed the company facing a massive task, but staff completed it and were the only players in the model market to be 100 per cent 24 Ghz last Christrmas.

The seven year old company is an expanding model distributer for the whole range of CENTURY products ranging from the Hummingbird through to the Predator. New lines are now being added from many well known model producers and the company will continue to distribute these through to all great local model shops.

Top pet advice

A firm's best asset is its staff and The Pet Shop based at Sittingbourne High Street can certainly say lay claim to having a knowledgeable, friendly team of eight which is needed when working with animals.

Valerie and Victor Brobyn launched into the pet world when they took over established Faversham business Gullivers in 1982. The couple worked hard and the shop grew in popularity and enjoyed many successful years until it was sold in 2003 at the end of the lease. Prior to that Valerie and Victor had opened The Pet Shop in Sittingbourne in1994 which has also flourished under their management.

The shop is a member of the Pet Care Trust meaning they are duty bound to look after the many reptiles, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, the UK's most popular pet, the hamster and fish. Also stocked is setting up equipment for looking after a pet plus a raft of good advice from the experienced staff.

The shop even has an annual Pet Care Week for youngsters which has proved very popular. Celebrity customers also pay visits buying products for their pets.

Wild birds are also catered for with an extensive seed list, as are the gardens they visit and there is a selection of products to keep your garden in top condition.

Staff training top priority

After 19 years of trading, skincare salon owner Julie Gamble has a very positive attitude towards business. She says:" Never think that you can relax and stop moving the business forward. The moment you stop, you risk being overtaken and losing market share. Be aware of the competition, but put your energies into running your business to the very best of your ability".

This could be why 2010 has been an outstanding year despite the recession and others in the beauty industry going under. This knowledgeable salon based in Sittingbourne High Street hasn't stopped since it won the ‘Best Small Business 2009' at these awards, with extensive salon refurbishment and even the treatment rooms now have a couples room for mothers and daughters. There has also been heavy investment in staff training. .

Now open seven days a week with three late evenings until 9pm, the Sunday opening has proved very popular with mums. There is also a ‘bring a friend' scheme and a loyalty points programme.

The salon offers a very wide range of services from holistic massage to reflexology and recently engaged the services of a medical nutritionalist who is able to offer weight counselling and food intolerance testing. The first three clinics were booked out.

The company is now registered with the Care Quality Commission, the government body responsible for monitoring the standards of the NHS and private nursing homes. Very few skincare salons are quality care registered as the process is complex and expensive.

In the community Julie Gamble has recently become associated with Westlands School and Milton Court year 11's, mentoring pupils wanting to join the beauty industry.

The salon has a strict no cancellation policy and even in this January's snow staff were collected from their homes and not a single appointment was lost.

Restaurant offers cookery lessons

Offering an extensive Indian and Bangladeshi menu, in its short trading history has won a number of cuisine awards. Manager Jack Mah makes a point of training staff to a high level and is innovative with the business. There are Elvis tribute nights, Neil Diamond and King of Swing evenings.

The Preston Street restaurant will also offer the public cookery lessons on request and some of the regulars have taken this service up.

The restaurant is both sit in and takeaway as well as home delivery and on Monday and Thursday evenings there are reasonably priced banquets. The two owners also take an interest in the community and run a number of charity events. They even had a knock out football match against four other restaurants which the Prince of India won.

Pilates used in treatments

The Oast Osteopathy in Bell Road, Sittingbourne is not only reactive to patients health problems, but is strongly proactive being a believer in Yoga and Pilates and has a studio showing people to help improve themselves. Pilates in particular not only strengthens the core muscles, but helps develop good posture.

All the clinic's osteopaths are fully qualified and registered with the General Osteopathic Council and work on joints, muscles, soft tissues and organs to restore function and eliminate pain from the body.

Miss Lloyd said: "Everybody can benefit from osteopathy, babies with colic or irritability, sports players who overstretch muscles and ligaments, the desk worker with poor posture and in older age our joints stiffen up and circulation slows down.

"Osteopathy can also help a wide variety of conditions such as migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual problems and sinusitis."

Relaxation plays a big part in treatments as stress can bring on a number of muscular problems. Even your sleep pattern can be improved at the clinic and digestion stimulated.

The clinic now runs a very wide range of additional treatments which include the Intashape Weight Loss programme which claims you can lose six pounds and six inches in six weeks. Also available are coaching, counselling and hypnotherapy.

Shop now on eBay

Brittain & Hobbs situated in Roman Square, is one of Sittingbourne's retail landmarks having served the local community with electrical appliances for the past 38 years

Established in 1972, the family run firm sells a large range of appliances from washing machines, fridges and cookers to numerable smaller items. The company also has a repair and rental division.

Manager Michael Prizeman has been with the firm for a number of years and says the company never stops looking for ways to enhance its service and has expanded its internet online business to developing an eBay shop.

Mr Prizeman supports these awards by saying: "Small businesses like ours are the backbone of the British economy and are often overlooked. We employ locally and even during difficult times have continued to support the community through our charity work where we've helped raise £130,000. We believe that service and knowledge are tools of our trade, but that the customer is king.

"We are different because there are very few family run businesses with the ability to offer superstore prices with a high street service. Take our emergency fridge and freezer delivery service which in most cases is supplied on the same day as purchased. We are also the quickest at what we do often beating customers back to their homes."

Brittain & Hobbs has also gone into the classroom with colouring competitions and involving the youngsters with its Christmas window display.

Secret garden project

This Sittingbourne company deals in a wide range of products from addressable fire and intruder alarm systems to nurse call, disabled person toilet alarms, door entry phone systems and hearing induction loops amongst a wide range of commodities offering a one stop safety and security shop.

Managing director Jon Gillingham said:" We are called to a wide range of customers and I've even be asked to go out for what was a cup of tea call with a customer who was feeling a bit lonely.

"We actively support Neighbourhood Watch schemes by offering various prizes such as a security system and offer free surveys of premises as well as attending various shows.

" Our overall target is to put something back into our community where we earn our living."

The firm sees the local community as important and is enjoying working on a secret garden project for underprivileged children

NFS (UK) Ltd is certified by the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) and is subject to regular inspections. Al its work is warranted and conforms to the current EU standards.

Alternative beauty treatments

Beautician Tina Taylor never stops trying out new techniques and listens to what her customers want at the Beauty Spot in Faversham. Even the Sunday paper beauty product write ups are examined each week to see if they are as cracked up to their description as they claim.

It's over 21 years since Tina started up her business and she's seen a lot of changes.
She said: "Customers are more knowledgeable these days and the salon keeps abreast of all the latest treatments and products checking them out in the newspaper beauty pages. The beauty industry has changed to meet people's lifestyles which are spent juggling jobs and children creating stress.

"Image too is important and people feel it reflects in their job prospects, especially as they reach 40. It is up to me and my team to give our clients a very good experience and be honest about what products and treatments would be best for them."

Hair removal has moved on by leaps and bounds and from straightforward waxing nowadays there are laser treatments and the salon is now registered as a small hospital and covers such problems as acne and psoriases.

Women who are scared of surgical facelifts can use non invasive CACI treatment and also Botox all available at the salon. Also available is an amazing Jessica nail manicure which lasts for three weeks...All the products are chemical free and plant derivative and amongst the massages on offer are reflexology, hot pebbles and HOPI candles.

Tina has been teaching beauty in a number of colleges over the past 20 years and has now opened her own academy. An alternative health clinic is about to be opened with allergy testing, hypnosis amongst a string of new treatments.

Bespoke couriers

UK and universal express courier, Candy Couriers has seen many market swings and faced strong competition for the past 20 years, but has always come out on top.

Marketing manager Simon Pearce says much of the firm's success comes from not just being a satellite of a large corporation, but managing to maintain and nurture one-to-one contact with most of the clients. He strongly believes it is this friendly and helpful approach that allows Candy Carriers to really stand out from its competitors.

He said:" Since we started we have specialised in providing dedicated, same-day, deliveries. It is a bespoke service for the requirements and needs of each individual customer and is easily adaptable to the size of their company and immediate need.

"We constantly monitor our overall performance and immediately implement any changes we think will improve the experience of our customers. By being consistent, presentable, reliable and totally focussed on delivering the best possible service, we make working with Candy Carriers an easy solution for anyone."

It is not surprising that this company was a finalist against tough competition in these awards last year. Part of its appeal was its thorough driver training and seeing them as being the public image.

The company has weathered the recession remarkably well and Mr Pearce says it's been unpredictable at times with normally quiet times becoming the busiest. The firm has been expanding by launching the new international express parcel division and the Candycool temperature controlled service.

The downside has been fuel prices which hit the whole industry. A one pence rise has enormous implications for a courier and with 19 vehicles travelling daily across the UK it means constant cost watching.

The company has had some dream clients such as David Beckham, James Caan, Richard Branson and The Sultan of Brunei. On a more serious note they regularly deliver life saving gasses direct to neonatal intensive care units at hospitals across the UK.

Tenants treated like family

The simple business name Family Homes is exactly what proprietor Sunil Popat wants to achieve with his tenants.
With 10 employees and having been based in Milton High Street for the past 21 years, this property investment and lettings agency offers a complete service to landlords including maintenance, management and legal services.

Mr Popat said: "Our tenants are at the core of our business and as such we believe that they should be treated as family. We have been providing services for the local community for over 20 years and have built a solid relationship with Swale Borough Council and the Homeless Team. Our employment strategy for the business is to employ local, part-time staff.."

Family Homes is also the largest provider of private housing to tenants from East European countries and Mt Popat uses Polish and Latvian interpreters to communicate with the tenants. Family Homes has also assisted with accommodation for Porchlight, the Kent Outreach Service and providing properties to ex-offenders.

The recession has been tough and Mt Popat said: "Many long standing tenants have experienced financial difficulties on a large scale. Due to no fault of their own they have faced hardship in the form of redundancy and have been unable to meet their monthly rental obligations.

" We continue to overcome this challenge by highlighting the problem early, having regular meetings, agreeing payment plans and finally by working closely with the Homeless Team to avoid making families homeless. We feel that in the last 12 months we have dealt successfully with over 10 cases of this nature.".

Tenants have also become more educated about their legal rights when it comes to sourcing and living in private housing. As the number of rental properties increase, tenants expect a much higher standard of accommodation and service than previously. This has been dealt with by additional investment in the firm's property stock, as well as dealing effectively with issues raised on behalf of landlords.

The company also takes an interest in Swale community organisations and has recently begun sponsoring the Swale Magpies Football team.

Putting recycling in the bag

The Sait family has a very long history going back to great grandfather who was a rag ‘n bone man dealing in clothing, opening his first shop in the 1930s.

Today the Sittingbourne based family business led by Jonathan and Helena is at the forefront of Swale's textile recycling initiatives with a passion to help reduce waste in landfill sites where textiles currently take up a 12 per cent share. The pair started up the free ‘Phil'the Bag textile collection service two years ago and offer a financial reward to those participating in their projects.

This has proved very attractive to a number of local organisations such as nurseries, cubs, scouts, sports clubs and any other community groups. Nearly all Swale schools have been involved with the Phil the Bag project and so popular are the company's staff that locals call all of them Phil, which is appropriate with a couple of real Phils.

Clothing banks are supplied to organisations such as the Kent and Surrey air ambulance services and Barnardo's. and payment is made by the kilo. The end product ends up in Ghana and Pakistan.

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