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2011 entrant profiles:
The Insurance Manager
The Insurance Manager Ltd, based in Faversham, is one of Swale’s most unique businesses, providing an innovative new approach to insurance and risk management services for SMEs and organisations in the Care and Education sectors.
Managing Director Danny Cooper has over 40 years experience managing the insurance needs of UK and international businesses. He set up The Insurance Manager in 2004 with a vision of drastically changing the accepted model of Client – Broker –Insurer. The Insurance Manager works as part of a client’s own team to mediate the best possible price and the most relevant coverage. The company’s expertise and understanding of the industry means their clients avoid falling foul of ‘partnerships’ between brokers and insurers which don’t necessarily result in the best deal.
Since its inception in 2004 The Insurance Manager Ltd has developed into a proven and profitable business with a track record of making significant savings for its clients. Danny now hopes to begin rolling the business out by establishing Local Insurance Managers in towns and cities throughout the UK, all linked together by a bespoke IT platform with a technical back-up system.
When asked why The Insurance Manager deserved to win the Swale Business Awards Danny said: “We’re an exciting, new type of business working in a fairly unexciting and staid sector. We have developed new ideas, new ways and new methods whilst growing year on year. The Insurance Manager has the potential to completely revolutionise a whole industry!”
Danny Cooper
The Insurance Manager Ltd,
Suites 7&8 The Courtyard
Parsonage Farm
Throwley, Faversham
Kent. ME13 0PN
www.theinsurancemanager.co.uk
Friday Field Stables
Friday Field Stables is a full livery stable and training yard based in Upchurch, Sittingbourne. The business was founded when owner Suzanne Marshall bought a 14-acre site with a few disused buildings and planning permission for equestrian use. After extensive work Friday Fields opened its doors as a 5-star livery stables in 2000.
Suzanne has been riding since she was just 7 years old and horses have always been at the centre of her life. She is a Recommended Associate for Kelly Marks, Intelligent Horsemanship, holds the Monty Roberts Certificate of Horsemanship and is also a Mary Wanless ‘Ride with your Mind’ Accredited Coach. As well as providing a full livery service Friday Fields offers training for both horse and rider and works with horses with behavioural problems.
In its 11 years Friday Fields has proven to be an extremely popular and successful business. Looking to the future Suzanne hopes to expand on the range of courses on offer in order to reach an even wider audience and encourage more people to take up an interest in equestrianism.
When asked why Friday Fields deserves to win the Swale Business Award Suzanne answered: “The yard has a great atmosphere, and we strive to maintain that at all times. I feel we are unique in our attention to detail, and our care of the horses. The team works really hard to do this, and to win the award would be a recognition of those efforts.”
Suzanne Marshall
Friday Field Stables,
Holywell lane,
Upchurch
Sittingbourne,
Kent. ME9 7HN
www.fridayfield.co.uk
O’Connell’s Drywall Contractors Ltd
John O’Connell founded O’Connell’s Drywall Contractors in Medway in 1978, relocating to Sittingbourne in recent years. The company employs 8 people and provides plastering and drylining services as a contractor to the bulding trade.
O’Connell’s has acknowledged the difficulties brought on by the recession and took the decision to invest heavily in both people and standards throughout the downturn, ensuring that they continued to stand out from their competition by maintaining the highest standards in every aspect of their work. The company has earned many quality accreditations including Investors in People, ISO9001, ISO14001 and are working towards ISO18001 to demonstrate their commitment to workplace health and safety. The business also polls its customers and has found that their approach to quality is considered to be one of their key strengths.
O’Connell’s employ people from the local area where possible, with 75% of their office staff living in Swale, and work with sub-contractors near to their sites. They also believe in developing local talent and invest time and effort on training young employees to be fully skilled tradesmen.
When asked why O’Connell’s deserves to win the Swale Business Award, John O’Connell said: “we set our standards higher than our client’s expectations, by doing this we are always able to impress that we want to be the best. This award would show that all the hard work that we have put in to our business was worth the effort.”
John O’Connell
O’Connell’s Drywall Contractors Ltd
Units 5/6 Eaves Court
Bonham Drive
Sittingbourne
Kent ME10 3RY
www.oconnellsdrywall.com
Sharrocks
Sharrocks, based in the beautiful environment of Watson’s Mill, Sheerness, is a broker of insurance services to both businesses and individuals. The company has been in business for over 40 years and became a partnership following the sudden death of founder and Managing Director Brian Doucy in 2008.
With Brian’s son Alan now at the helm Sharrocks has begun to focus sharply on its role within the community, raising well over £4000 for various local charities since 2009 and with many more activities planned through 2011. The company became fully paperless in 2010 with all documents stored electronically, and anything that isn’t forwarded to a client recycled. This has helped to substantially reduce their impact on the environment and increase their productivity for customers.
The business specialises in brokering commercial insurance to businesses across all sectors. However, they are by no means limited to this and, as an independent firm with access to major companies and markets such as Lloyd’s of London, Sharrocks pride themselves on being able to secure cover in situations where a high street agency might not.
When asked why Sharrocks deserved to win the Swale Business Award, Alan Doucy said: “I feel the business has overcome many challenges since the sudden death of my father in 2008. I took over at the age of just 27 and since then we have increased turnover, rebranded the company and moved into unique premises. On top of this we’ve been a steady and respected part of the local business community for many years: a role we hope to continue in.”
Alan Doucy
Sharrocks Insurance
Watson’s Mill
Ride’s Passage
High Street
Sheerness
Kent ME12 1UD
www.sharrockinsurance.co.uk
Century UK Ltd
Century UK Ltd are based on the Anchor Business Park in Sittingbourne. The company is a global designer, manufacturer and distributor of radio-controlled models which it exports to markets in Europe, North Africa and the USA.
Century UK was founded in 2003 and now employs 8 people at its Sittingbourne headquarters. It was runner up in the 2010 Swale Business Awards, an achievement which has since inspired Managing Director Mark Tilbury and his team to increase their turnover by a further 20% and take on two new members of staff. The business is rapidly growing in a popular marketplace, and has sold models in the past to such well-known names as David Jason, Vic Reeves, Joe Pasquali and Richard Branson!
The company maintains an edge over its international competitors by designing and producing unique models in-house. This approach ensures that they maintain a constantly growing inventory of models that can’t be acquired from any other company, and helps to keep them ahead of the game.
When asked why Century UK deserve to win the Swale Business Awards, Mark said: “I don’t think anyone deserves to win an award, but our success last year has been such a fantastic springboard for the business and it gave everyone who works here an enormous boost. I firmly believe in the whole Swale business set-up and would love for even more businesses to be able to experience an evening like we did in 2010.”
Mark Tilbury
Century UK Ltd
7 Anchor Business Park
Castle Road
Sittingbourne
Kent. ME10 3AE
www.centuryuk.com
Julian Austin Photography
Julian Austin has been an established sole trader since 2006 but has been a keen photographer for over 20 years, photographing numerous weddings and family portraits for friends and family before he realised he could make a business doing what he loves.
The bulk of Julian’s work is photographing weddings on weekends, which allows him to focus on taking family portraits throughout the week. This has been going so well of late that he has just opened up a studio in St George’s Business Centre in Sittingbourne, where people can make appointments to be photographed in a professional environment.
However, it hasn’t been all plain sailing through the recession and Julian has been forward thinking enough to expand the business to offer other services to people planning weddings, from chocolate fountain hire to video game consoles to keep the kids happy. Weddings are an expense that many can’t afford during recessions, and so having successfully steered the business through the last few years Julian is confident that as the economy starts to pick up, he will really see the business take off.
When asked why he deserved to win the Swale Business Awards, Julian said: “we have expanded out into a studio when all we hear is doom and gloom, and we offer a wide range of services for wedding couples or those planning a party which are very useful.”
Julian Austin Photography
Unit B11
St George’s Road Business Park
Castle Road
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 3TB
www.julianaustinphotography.co.uk
Lamborn & Hill Estate Agents
Run by two directors with significant experience of the real estate industry, Lamborn & Hill was formed in September 2009 to take advantage of the economic downturn. The theory was that the business would be able to start up with less outlay, competing directly against businesses that were actively downsizing. Evidently that logic was sound, as the company posted a net profit in its first year trading, despite the housing market showing little sign of resurgence.
The business has worked hard to build strong relationships within the local landlord community, to the extent that around 70% of its new business is generated through referrals. However, this hasn’t prevented them from making a significant investment in marketing, advertising properties through sites such as findaproperty and rightmove. They have also worked to use Facebook to create a network of local landlords and they sponsor Oak Athletic Football Club.
Building on a successful first 20 months in business the directors of Lamborn and Hill are confident that their business will continue to grow, and are aiming to open at least one, if not two, more branches within Swale.
When asked why Lamborn and Hill deserved to win the Swale Business Awards, Director Jamie Hill said: “Taking into consideration the downturn in the housing market we opened an estate agency business at a time when many agents were shutting their doors. We’ve grown a substantial lettings business and continue to be one of the top agents on sales in the area.”
Jamie Hill
Lamborn & Hill Estate Agents
19-21 West Street
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 1AJ
www.lambornhill.com
Ann Rose Fabrics
Ann Rose Fabrics, based in Minster, is a family run business which has been running since 1984. The company supplies upholstery, carpets, flooring, and blinds to individuals, homes and businesses.
The business has grown year on year for the last 3 years and this year won a new contract with a major refurbishment establishment which has allowed the company to take on two more members of staff. Ann Rose now employs 4 people full time, and a further two part time.
The recession was extremely bad news for a lot of businesses, but the team at Ann Rose found that with money tight people were more likely to refurbish their existing homes and offices than they were to buy new, resulting in consistent growth.
The company has carved out a niche market for itself as the major supplier of caravan upholstery on the island, providing their services to 53 local caravan sites with approximately 40,000 caravans!
The ambition for the future is to expand the business even further, taking on new apprentices to augment the upholstery side of the business. When asked why Ann Rose deserved the title of Swale Business of the Year, Director Fraser Gregory said: “We pride ourselves on our customer satisfaction and being an established business for over 25 years. This is really driven home by the fact that over 50% of our work is generated through word of mouth and returning customers.
Fraser Gregory
Ann Rose Fabrics Ltd
Unit 4,
Marshlands Farm,
Lower Road,
Minster, Sheppey
Kent
ME12 4NS
www.annrosefabrics.co.uk
Curry Queen
Curry Queen, on West Street in Sittingbourne, is a family owned business which has served a broad range of Indian foods to the people of Sittingbourne for 11 years.
Operating both a collection and delivery service Curry Queen employs 6 full time members of staff and has continued to trade steadily, despite households cutting back on spending, to bank a net profit last year.
The business maintains its profile through word of mouth and positive recommendations, but also maintains a marketing budget for newspaper adverts and the sponsorship of a local football team, helping them to continue to raise their profile.
At the heart of the Curry Queen philosophy is a dedication to providing top quality customer service, and the small team prides itself on working as hard as possible to ensure that their customers enjoy top quality food with great service. The business has plans to expand over the next five years, leading to fresh employment opportunities.
When asked why Curry Queen deserved to win the Swale Business Awards, Owner Mr Choudury said: “We believe we should win because we have been running this business successfully now for 11 years. Customer service is a real passion for everyone at Curry Queen and we firmly believe we provide that to our customers.
Mr A. Choudury
Curry Queen
38A West Street,
Sittingbourne
Kent, ME10 1AP
www.curryqueen.net
Brittain and Hobbs Electricals
‘Retailer of the Year’ at the 2010 Swale Business Awards, Brittains and Hobbs are back in the mix this year. The electrical retailer, which has outlets in both Sheerness and Sittingbourne, employs over 20 people and is an extremely well known Swale brand selling everything from TVs to white goods, as well as a comprehensive range of spare parts and a repair service.
However, it’s not all plain sailing and conditions continue to pose a challenge for the company. In order to ensure a strong performance through the recession they have focused on ensuring staff are well trained and provide excellent customer service. They have also adopted several new ways of engaging with their customer base, including a Facebook page which has attracted over 700 ‘friends’ and an eBay store.
The company is also continuing its commitment to local community events, strengthening ties with the Royal British Legion and Salvation Army, as well as hosting the Brittain & Hobbs Charity Fun Day on Sittingbourne High Street in August.
There are big plans for the future as well, with a relocation in the pipeline for one of their stores, which the company believes will place them at the very heart of Sittingbourne’s regeneration plans.
When asked why they deserved to win the Swale Business Awards, Brittain & Hobbs Sittingbourne Branch Manager Michael Prizeman said: “Having won last years ‘Retailer of the Year’ award we have run with the prestige and attention it has brought us, seeing it as something to live up to. We’ve continued to provide high quality service, to train and motivate our staff and support our local community
Michael Prizeman
Brittain & Hobbs
6 Roman Square
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 4BJ
www.brittainandhobbs.co.uk
Redlaws Safety
Redlaws Safety was founded a year ago by former IOSH practitioner of the year Stephen Walder, with the aim of providing a range of health and safety services to small businesses throughout Swale.
The company can deliver staff safety training and health & safety consultancy as well as providing safety audits to help businesses provide a safe working environment for their staff, reduce risk, and meet the requirements of law.
Stephen has been working as a health and safety professional since 1996 for companies throughout Swale and has maintained a high level of professional competency through training with professional bodies such as IOSH and COSHH.
Stephen decided to strike out alone in 2009 after becoming disillusioned at the rates existing firms were charging SME businesses for health and safety consultancy services, which often culminated in SMEs not taking them up and so potentially not complying with health and safety legislation. After a successful start to Redlaws Safety Stephen is hopeful of employing an administrator by the end of the year, and a second consultant by the end of next year.
When asked why Redlaws deserves to be named Swale Business of the Year Stephen said: “I offer very small businesses a service that is affordable to them, and which allows them to keep compliant. I’m a dedicated professional who cares about his clients.”
Stephen Walder
Redlaws Safety
12 Harps Avenue,
Minster, Sheerness
Kent
ME12 3PF
www.redlaws-safety.co.uk
HNF Consultancy Ltd
HNF Consultancy is a Sittingbourne based software design firm that has been writing programs to help businesses manage fleets of vehicles for the past seven years.
The software allows HNF’s customers to instantly send jobs to a handheld PDA with each driver. They can receive live data back, such as the whereabouts of each driver and proof of delivery. The system can also be used to calculate driver expenses and timesheets as well as saving customers a significant amount in both fuel and stationary costs, as the drivers don’t have to return to the office to collect and deliver paperwork.
HNF employs 4 members of staff and has had an extremely positive start to 2011, with first quarter turnover up 30% on 2010. They have also attracted the UK’s largest vehicle delivery firm to use their products with 10 of their drivers, with a view to rolling it out across their entire fleet of 300. This was one of MD Noel Hanafin’s goals when he set up the business 7 years ago, and he is now focusing on his long-standing ambition to become the No1 vehicle delivery software provider in the UK and Ireland.
When asked why HNF deserved to win at the Swale Business Awards MD Noel Hanafin said: “We are a small but innovative young business who are constantly coming up with new software to help customers cut costs and to help the environment.”
Noel Hanafin
HNF Consultancy Ltd
Wises Oast Business Centre
Wises Lane, Borden
Sittingbourne
Kent, ME9 8LR
www.hnfconsultancy.com
Julie Gamble – Advanced Skin & Beauty Clinic
Julie Gamble Advanced Skin & Beauty Clinic has been an established Sittingbourne business since owner Julie Gamble moved to the area in 1992. The company was named small business of the year in the 2009 Swale Business Awards and made the finals again in 2010.
The company runs a specialist clinic, offering skincare, hair removal and non-surgical medical aesthetic treatments and has continued to increase turnover steadily throughout the last three years, despite the extremely difficult economic conditions. 2010/11 has been an extremely good year for the company, with customer satisfaction survey showing that 94% of customers would recommend the business to a friend: a stat which is backed up by 75% of customers booking another appointment.
Julie puts the clinic’s success down to the culture of strong team work and cohesion in the workplace. By ensuring a fulfilling career progression through the ranks as well as constant professional development and clear communication of the companies values, goals and priorities Julie has put in place a team that experienced no staff turnover at all over the last 12 months. The 6 full time and 1 part time employee are regularly asked to give anonymous feedback and the latest survey showed every single employee agreed with the statement “I love my job.”
When asked why the clinic deserved to win, Julie said: “I think we are unique in Sittingbourne. We deserve to win because of our longevity, enthusiasm and continued effort in providing secure employment and quality, value for money services locally.”
Julie Gamble
Julie Gamble Advanced Skin & Beauty Clinic
15 High Street
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 4AYl
http://www.juliegamble.co.uk/
Macknade Fine Foods
Established 32 years ago, Macknade Fine Foods in Faversham is one of Swale’s best-known retailers of quality produce.
The firm started life as a tent in 20 hectares of ‘Pick Your Own’ crops where it introduced many people to ‘exotic’ foods like mange tout, courgette flowers and yellow & purple raspberries for the very first time. Since then it has become established as Swale’s first choice for hundreds of people wanting to buy top quality fresh produce.
As well as the farm shop the company also wholesales produce to restaurants, pubs and caterers throughout the area and even exports hard to find products overseas, for example sending specialist balsamic to a customer in Singapore!
From its humble beginnings Macknade has grown to employing over 30 people, of whom 17 are full time. The business is now run by Stefano Cuomo, whose father was the original founder. Stefano lists his proudest achievement in business as the ongoing generational transition which is allowing the business to cement its long term future. Looking ahead Stefano hopes to reach a point where the present Macknade site can be fully managed without the presence of partners, allowing them to focus on developing new sites.
When asked why Macknade Fine Foods deserved to win the Swale Business Awards Stefano said: “We have a strong staff and customer loyalty and we offer a unique experience, all of which is underlined in our growing figures.”
Stefano Cuomo
Macknade Fine Foods
Selling Road
Faversham
Kent
ME13 8XF
Creative Resins Distribution
Creative Resins are based on Sittingbourne’s Eurolink Estate. The company distributes a variety of resin products for use in decorative glasswork as well as on boats, cars and planes.
The hard drying resins are used to emulate stick on lead and traditional stained glass and can be applied either manually or by machine to achieve a range of finishes.
83 percent of Creative Resins’ business is in export, and their products are sold in 50 countries around the world. In 2010 the company won the ‘Exporter of the Year’ award at the Swale Business Awards, and this year are hoping either to be named Small Business of the Year or to walk away with the Customer Service and Commitment Award.
The company has been established for 11 years and in that time has experienced steady growth, increasing turnover throughout the last three years and investing the profit back into the businesses advertising budget to allow them to attend global exhibitions and buy advertising.
Michael Bollom is MD of Creative Resins. He says his proudest achievement in business, aside from winning at the 2010 Swale Business Awards, has been keeping the business profitable throughout the difficult market conditions of the last couple of years. When asked why Creative deserved to win at this year’s awards he said: “We work extremely hard to promote our products worldwide and as a result we are promoting Swale and Kent in our marketing abroad.”
Michael Bollom
Creative Resins Distribution Ltd
7 The Glenmore Centre,
Castle Road,
Eurolink Estate
Sittingbourne,
Kent
ME10 3GL
http://creativeresinsdistribution.com
Judd’s Folly Hotel
London entrepreneur Daniel Judd, a pioneer of the gunpowder trade that became so central to Faversham’s history, built Judd’s Folly in 1654. Sadly much of the original building was lost to fire in the 1960s. However, that hasn’t stopped a local hotelier from opening up the Judd’s Folly Hotel.
Jason Wolverson took over at the hotel in November 2009 and has worked hard to completely renovate and restore the building, which had suffered from a bad reputation in its previous incarnation.
The hotel has managed to turn a significant profit since the time it has been in Jason’s care, with the figures improving every month since the opening in 2009. The hotel stands out from its competitors as it sits in 3 acres of pristine parkland surrounded by amazing wildlife. It has 21 bedrooms as well as self-catering apartments and caters for business travelers, functions and the leisure trade.
However, the plans for Judd’s Folly don’t stop there. Jason’s ambitions are to see the hotel expanded to having over 40 bedrooms and become established as one of the regions top venues for functions, business shows and leisure.
When asked why Judd’s Folly deserved to win at the Swale Business Awards Jason said: “I took a shabby, run down motel and turned it into a smart, 21 bedroom hotel with many regular customers and good visitor comments. There were 2 members of staff when I took over and that’s now been expanded to 12, all of whom have the motivated attitude that’s helped the hotel to go from strength to strength.
Jason Wolverson
Judd’s Folly Hotel
Syndale Park
London Road
Faversham
ME13 0RH
http://juddsfollyhotel.co.uk
D. Hughes Ground & Property Maintenance Ltd
D. Hughes Ground and Property Maintenance is a Sittingbourne based, family-run business specialising in ground and property maintenance work.
Owner Daniel Hughes runs the company with his wife Rachel and they employ four people. They undertake all general ground and property maintenance work including Hedge cutting, grass cutting, fencing, patios, decking, turfing, rubbish removal/general garden clearance, pruning, weeding, painting and decorating and lots more. They have also recently started offering cleaning services.
The company was founded 3 ½ years ago by Daniel and Rachel and their figures have steadily risen in that time, allowing them to invest some of the profit back into the company in the shape of a new van, and to increase their insurance coverage for their employees.
The main challenge they have faced is in keeping up with the demand for their services, and the rapid growth in the business that this has entailed. Daniel counts his proudest achievement to date as being moving the company’s headquarters into business premises, rather than running it from home.
D.Hughes takes great pride in the level of customer service it offers, and in particular the special bond they have built with some of their older clients, to whom the company’s services are a real necessity.
When asked why the business deserved to win at this years awards Daniel said: “I feel that we really do care about our customers and will always put them first, and if they can’t afford something then we will try and cut the cost down as best we can. We really go the extra mile for our customers.
Unit 14
Castle Road Business Precinct
Castle Road
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 3RP
http://www.djhughes.webs.com
Hempstead House Hotel & Spa
Hempstead House is one of Swales most established hotels, but the recent addition of the Aquamanda spa has given it a unique niche.
The hotel sits in 4 acres of grounds and has been established under the current ownership since 1989. At present employs 40 full time and 20 part time staff.
Marketed predominantly over the internet the hotel has seen a knock in the amount of weddings it hosts over the last year due to the amount of venues providing budget weddings, and this has led them to very successfully explore alternative revenue streams, such as the brand new spa. Plans are now afoot to extend the spa to include more facilities, including an outdoor swimming pool for young guests.
The hotel has undergone three major extensions since 1998, leading owner Amanda Holdstock to feel that the majority of her future efforts will be spent ensuring that the quality of service offered to guests remains at a consistently high level.
When asked why the hotel deserved to win at the 2011 Swale Business Awards Amanda said: “My staff continue to work hard on a daily basis to help my business thrive. I now feel that they deserve the recognition for all that hard work. I started out working 17-hour days to run Hempstead House, and with their help I am now able to back away somewhat. The business has grown from having a handful of rooms in a B&B to being a successful hotel and spa.”
Amanda Holstock
Hempstead House
London Road
Bapchild
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME9 9PP
http://www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk/
Swale MOT Centre
The Swale MOT Centre in Sittingbourne has been in business for a relatively short amount of time, opening its doors for the first time just 18 months ago. However, it has quickly become established and in its first financial year recorded a turnover of over £100,000 with a healthy net profit.
The main challenge the company has faced since opening has been establishing itself as an alternative to its more established competition and building up a database of loyal customers. To help it achieve this goal The Swale MOT Centre has a marketing budget of £1,000 which it invests in buying advertising online and in local directories, as well as producing leaflets and flyers to help get their name known.
Where The Swale MOT Centre feels it really stands out from its competition is in the way it supports its staff through skills and training courses to ensure they are always at the required standards. This has included putting team members through NVQ qualifications, as well as training from the Vehicle & Operator Service Agency (VOSA).
The company’s ambition is to continue growing steadily and to be able to create more and more jobs for local people as it does so. When asked why she felt The Swale MOT Centre deserved to win the ‘Small Business of the Year’ crown Director Rachael Robertson said: “We pride ourselves on the ability of our staff and their dedication to the level of service we provide.”
Rachael Robertson
Swale MOT
Unit 4 D2 Trading Estate
Castle Road
Sittingbourne
ME10 3RH
http://www.swalemot.co.uk/
NBC Bird & Pest Solutions Ltd
NBC Bird and Pest Solutions Ltd was founded 3 years ago when Managing Director Dave Green bought the NBC Bird and Pest Solutions franchise for Medway and set up his headquarters on the Isle of Sheppey.
The company are specialists in using environmentally friendly methods of bird control, and pay a great deal of attention to the rodenticides they use for pest control in order to minimise the impact they could potentially have on non-target species. The iconic image of the business is Dave wielding a majestic falcon, one of the key tools the company uses to disperse undesirable bird populations, as smaller birds are scared off by the presence of a large predator, without the falcon ever having to catch one of them.
By combining the local knowledge of his small team of experts with the resources of the parent company NBC Bird & Pest Solutions Ltd has proved a huge success since its foundation, with turnover rising steeply each year and the company winning contracts against the 2 largest suppliers in the country.
Dave said: “I’ve been a falconer for the last 17 years and so buying the NBC franchise provided me with the opportunity to use the birds as part of my business.” When asked why the company deserved to be named Small Business of the Year at the awards he replied: “Although a franchisee I have been in business for a short time and built a huge client base basically on my own. I treat my customers how I would expect to be treated myself and I respect the environment.”
David Green
NBC Bird & Pest Solutions Ltd
Bickerton House
5 Belgrave Rd
Isle of Sheppey
ME12 3GA
www.nbcbirdandpest.co.uk
Lotinga Industrial Doors
Lotinga Indsutrial Doors have been manufacturing, installing and repairing industrial gates, doors and railings from their base in the small village of Rodmersham for 11 years, and employ 2 full time members of staff.
The company competes against much larger companies to supply bespoke industrial doors to businesses like EON, Scottish Power, Everest and Jewson.
Since the recession Lotinga has been forced to begin innovating and has designed and brought to market their own design of speed door, which can be manufactured at half the price of other speed doors on the market and are cheaper to maintain and repair.
The Eco Strip Speed Door has been a huge success and has already drawn interest from larger door companies wishing to become involved, and for Partner Trina Lotinga the success of the door represents the proudest moment the company has had in business. There are now plans to continue developing the Eco Strip door to ensure it keeps pace with industry innovations, and to sell them on to a wider range of customers.
When asked why Lotinga Industrial Doors deserved to win at the Swale Business Awards Trina said: “We built this business up from scratch and have developed a reputation to match the largest of the national door companies, which is something we are very proud of.”
Trina Lotinga
Lotinga Industrial Doors Ltd
Jezreels Barn
Rodmersham Court Farm
Church Street
Rodmersham
Kent ME13 0SU
www.lotingadoors.co.uk
Ecologia Environmental Ltd
Ecologia Environmental Ltd have been based at Kent Science Park in Sittingbourne since the company was formed in 2000, but since then they have expanded to include offices throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe.
The company develops and implements unique and high-tech land remediation technologies, making ground which has been contaminated by a range of polluting substances clean and safe to use. They have won several industry awards for their innovative new technologies, and were named Swale Business of the Year in 2007.
MD Giacomo Maini started the company with a group of colleagues in 2000 and since then Ecologia has expanded to employ 56 people of whom 43 work at their Sittingbourne Headquarters at Kent Science Park. Consistent double digit growth in turnover up until 2008 was slightly slowed due to the recession, but 2010 was an excellent year and saw Ecologia’s turnover increase by 54% which was reflected in a very healthy net profit.
The company tries where possible to employ from the local area, and has recently taken on a young man from Sittingbourne to undertake an apprenticeship as an electrical technician. They also engage with local authorities and often work on projects in within Swale, including the recent remediation of a former cast iron foundry in Faversham.
When asked why Ecologia deserved to be named Swale Business of the Year for a second time MD Giacomo Maini said: “We’re a strong team of people and all disciplines work together efficiently to achieve the required outcome. 11 years ago we were two people in a single room and now we are a multi-disciplinary, specialist contaminated land consultant / contractor with a good reputation within the industry.”
Giacomo Maini
Ecologia Environmental Solutions Ltd
Building 711 & 712
Kent Science Park
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME9 8BZ
www.ecologia-environmental.com
Carousel Logistics Ltd
Carousel Logistics, based on Sittingbourne’s Eurolink estate, designs, implements and manages integrated logistics solutions for large organisations with demanding requirements for either distribution or warehousing.
The company is one of the fastest growing businesses in its industry, employing 57 full time members of staff, and 4 part time. Formed in 1985 they have over a quarter of a century of experience in logistics and have an incredible track record of increasing both turnover and profits every single year, including an exceptional 27% increase in turnover in 2010, a period over which the overall UK logistics industry contracted by 9%
Carousel have grown from a small office with 2 employees in 1985, to now being based out of a multi-million pound distribution centre on the Eurolink Estate as well as running 4 warehousing units, all in town, totaling 75,000 sq ft.
Central to Carousel’s success is a commitment to its staff, with a Personal Development System and ‘Best of the Best Training Academy’ combining to ensure all its staff consistently receive the support and training they need to fulfill their potential. In 2011 they were named KEiBA “Employer of the Year.”
When asked why the company deserves to win an award Managing Director Graham Martin said: “We have been supported by Swale and have become a successful, highly reputable, nationally recognized large business employing 65% of our staff from the Swale catchment area. We’re a success story that Swale needs to shout about!”
Graham Martin
Carousel Logistics Ltd
Gateway Centre
Castle Road
Eurolink
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 3RN
www.carousellogistics.co.uk
Nova IT Solutions Ltd
Nova IT Solutions have been established since September 2009 and provide a full range of IT services including support, hardware, consultancy, back up and email hosting to businesses of all sizes in Kent and London.
The company achieved excellent profits in 2010, despite seeing a reduction in sales due to schools (which make up a significant percentage of their client base) seeing a reduction in their budgets.
Nova have a fine track record in business awards, having won gongs in 2009, 2010 and 2011, including for their customer service and outsdtanding IT support. They have also achieved Silver STEM certification from Kent County Council’s Carbon Trust and have approved member statues of Kent Trading Standards’ Buy With Confidence scheme.
Nova offer true 24/7 support, including on bank holidays, Christmas and New Year, with both remote and on-site support, rather than just a return phone call. They also take their environmental commitments very seriously and regularly sponsor community events and good causes, such as Chilham Horse Trials, the Bat Conversation Society and a local cricket club.
When asked why the company deserved to win at this year’s Swale Business Awards Director Heather Nowak said: “We offer excellent customer support, a 24hr 7 day service, ISO and green accreditations and we work hard supporting our community. Nova is a company that cares about our clients, not just our profits.
Heather Nowak
www.nova-itsolutions.com
Inten Ltd
Inten is a Facilities Management company from Sittingbourne with a strong specialism in providing planned and reactive maintenance and drainage needs. The company provides its dependable service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
By expanding its drainage services to a full facilities management program Inten are able to provide professional, reliable support to save businesses and organisations both time and money.
Working with councils, hospitals, housing associations, shopping centres and any other clients who maintain large facilities Inten can manage every aspect of those facilities’ upkeep, from painting white lines in the car parks to designing and installing lighting industrial lighting.
The company was only formed in 2008 and in that time has experienced rapid growth, turning over £2.4 million in the last financial year and now employing 25 full time employees. What started out as a business mainly offering drainage services to domestic properties has managed to break out of that market and is now delivering full service facilities management packages to organisations such as Kent County Council, McDonalds, Sainsburys and Tesco.
In light of its rapid growth Inten has implemented the Inten 2-5 plan, which clearly lays out the company’s path to growing to generate £5 million in turnover by 2013.
When asked why Inten deserved to be a winner at the Swale Business Awards Tony Porter said: “We’ve dramatically grown this year, which is a huge achievement in itself, but attracting so many high quality name customers is a testament to the quality of work and service we provide.”
Tony Porter
Inten Ltd
4 Conqueror Court
Watermark
Sittingbourne
ME10 5BH
01795 433400
Phil The Bag
Phil The Bag is one of Sittingbourne’s most established businesses, having been trading in some form or other for over 60 years. At the heart of the business is a firm commitment to sustainability and recycling that leads every aspect of its operations.
The company works hard to lead the way in tackling textile waste and to inspire organisations such as schools, clubs, charities, community groups and businesses to minimise their impact on both society and the environment by recycling.
75% of textiles that are thrown away can be recycled, however only around 25% are and, amazingly, 12% of all landfill sites are full of textiles. Phil The Bag collects and recycles these old clothes, while at the same time educating young people, business owners and society in general as to how easy it is.
Many of the recycled clothes are sent abroad. However, this year Phil The Bag, in support of the Kent Air Ambulance, opened its first retail shop to demonstrate their commitment to the charity. It’s been a great success so far and there are plans afoot to open more once the model has become established.
A finalist in last year’s Swale Business Awards Phil the Bag has progressed in leaps and bounds over the last 12 months, and when asked why they deserved to win this year Business Development Manager Johnathan Sait said: “Our renewed focus on our commitment to our customers has really turned the company around this year. We are now HOT on all areas of customer service and I feel we deserve to win as all the staff work very hard to make the business the best we possibly can.”
Jonathan Sait
Phil The Bag
Unit 8, Castleacres
Castle Road
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 3RN
Country Brides
Country Brides, based on Preston Street in Faversham, has been established in the town for 14 years, but only passed into the possession of current owner Sylvia Lawrence 18 months ago. However, the company has gone from strength to strength under her leadership.
Over the last year turnover more than doubled on the 2008/09 figures – a trend that Sylvia puts down to her investment in marketing the company in a more focused way, as well as putting a huge emphasis on customer service and helping customers to ‘find THE dress, not a dress’.
Sylvia’s success with the shop in Faversham led to her opening a second store in Doverin 2010: an achievement she considers to be one of her proudest in business. However, she’s not content to stop there and hopes to build on this success over the next five years and open more new stores in Sheppey, Medway, East Sussex and Thanet to make buying wedding services and gowns a really enjoyable experience throughout the South East.
When asked why Country Brides deserved to win the Swale Business Awards Sylvia said: “We have worked hard to provide customers with an experience which is unique and special. We help brides who have had bad experiences in other stores to find their perfect dress without feeling pressurised or stressed!”
Sylvia Lawrence
Country Brides
71 Preston Street
Faversham
Kent
ME13 8PA
01795 539222
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