of Burton on Trent 80 Years of Retail Success
It is clear that Jones and Clark is rooted in its surrounding community in Burton on Trent. Now running into the third generation of family ownership and due to celebrate eighty years of trading in October, the business is an example of how evolving ideas and embracing change enable businesses to survive and
thrive.The business was started in 1932 by William Clark and Thomas Jones and its main focus was saw doctoring. Although based in a largely residential area, the company continued to expand and, in time, had to move to Waterloo Street in Burton. Expansion continued there too, with a series of houses knocked through to accommodate the need for larger and larger premises. But this year, with parking issues and customer growth being difficult to
manage on a residential street, it was decided to move to an industrial estate “down the road” and not too far away. At a stroke this has provided a few neat solutions for the business with a more open and user-friendly Trade Counter area, better office accommodation, more parking and easier access and a well-organized system for storing stock with a bay for speedy dispatch too. And, crucially, there is room to expand and evolve the business in the future. Currently, the business is being run by Simon and Monica Douglas-Clark and
they very much continue the family run business ethic built on solid foundations and with an eye on future developments.
Monica and Simon Douglas-Clark
When asked about the employee team Simon had the following to add:- “The team consists of 11 employees ranging from 3 experienced members of
staff with over 30 years in the business each, through to our newest apprentice who started just under a year ago. We like to recruit locally and build on our employees’ existing skills. We are dedicated to developing the skills and experience of our team, for example, two of our managers are currently finishing their NVQ level 3 in Management and we hope to gain “Investors In People” status during 2013.” Many of the staff have some background in various trades within the tool-using
industries, so are able to offer sound advice to customers. However, in order to keep up with new developments in products and practices, both new and established staff take advantage of a number of training outlets. For example, suppliers’ representatives can be invited to train colleagues on new ranges of tools, and the THS-provided training on sales and sales management has been well
received.Staff “experts” act as mentors to newer staff to increase product knowledge, but it is not unheard of for a particular staff member, new or old, to be told to brush up on a range of products and present the fruits of their labours to all other relevant staff. In this way, all staff are treated as valued members of the team. Stocking decisions can be fraught for small businesses because it is always great
to have all the relevant products ready for demanding customers. But the reality is that storage space and cash flow are powerful arguments against. Simon readily admits to enjoying making stocking decisions, and as a small independent company, Jones and Clark are able to quickly change and update stock lines. Simon particularly enjoys looking for innovative and interesting products to meet the changing demands of customers, so is a regular visitor to trade shows. Operations Manager Steve Dyche and Frank Chambers, the Purchasing Coordinator are also
16 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE
www.toolbusiness.co.uk
Reply No. 237
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