Speaker meeting 11th August 2011 Stuart James - Tiptree Jams
T I
he Wilkins‟ philanthropic concern for their workers, particularly about the poverty of the
old, was seen in the establishment in 1899 of a pensions scheme for their workers. This scheme lasted until state pensions were introduced nation- ally in 1911. The Wilkins‟ Provident Trust was introduced in 1917, initially as a profit sharing scheme, eventually becoming a pension scheme. However, it was closed in 1997 in the wake of the crisis for company pension schemes occasioned by regulations enforced as a result of the Robert Max- well pensions scandal.
n December 1989, an Employee Benefit Trust was established with the ultimate aim of
securing a majority stake in the business for the benefit of all employees. Today, the employees control almost half the voting strength in the business.
T T
he firm‟s recent history shows the problem of increasing competition particularly with the
range of miniature jars where around 2002 and 2003 the firm began to be squeezed out of its market. The Board talked of getting out of mini jars, one of its best known products; however, instead it decided to look at ways of improving efficiency and reduce operating costs. The process worked and the company now has one of the most efficient mini-lines in Europe..
he company has about 270 employees, but there is a large seasonal increase of staff in the
summer, to pick and sort the fruit. Upto the Sec- ond World War, the company sold direct to about 200,000 customers; now sales are mainly via major
supermarkets, regional distributors some smaller retailers – but the emphasis on quality has been maintained, the company exports to about 66 countries.
L
ast year the Queen visited the factory, so the firm was engaged in a good general tidy-up
(which cost a small fortune). The visit was sup- ported by some 300 security personnel, policemen and dogs; fortunately the visit went off very well, and the employees loved it! The Queen initially seemed a little restrained, but following the spontaneous round of applause as she entered the factory she seemed to visibly relax and in fact she spoke to a large number of employees, before she moved on to the Tearoom where she met with retired employees and non-factory staff and talked with them in an animated fashion. Two years ago, the Royal Warrant was extended to read Purveyors of Tiptree Products”.
A
fter this fascinating talk there were numerous questions from the Hornchurch & Upminster
Rotarians. Including about how big the Wilkin site was – the answer was 900 acres, divided into four farms, and that a large percentage of fruit is grown on its own farms and in the local area; a large part of the company‟s sales comes from marmalade, the oranges of which are sourced from Seville in Spain. Another question related to the jars – was the firm going to go into plastic for its bottles? – the answer from Stuart was a firm „No‟!, and it was noticeable that other firms producing similar products were also returning to glass containers. And with that question, time had run out and we had to let Stuart go, or he would be with us all day!
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Story provided by Dick Palmer Edited by Stuart James
Photos by George Larkey & Colin Davies
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