central south mid market 21 ESSENTIAL GROWTH INNOVATIVE INTERNATIONAL
The recession caused a drift of skilled personnel to other sectors, presenting the challenges of encouraging their return or generating fresh skilled resources. D&B has addressed this by continuing to invest in its own training department to create, at all levels, a multi- skilled workforce with the D&B mindset and culture.
“The holistic workforce approach provides flexibility, which is becoming more important now that the industry is recovering. We are constantly aiming to increase our workforce because of the growth in our work and geographic spread.“
Along with its strong business values and customer service principles, Edwards is keen to retain the company culture. “We feel like a family- run business, with our founders still involved and a loyal workforce that is flexible, quick to react and able to implement strategic decision-making.“
Edwards sees the company‘s biggest challenge as gaining the opportunities to maintain the type and quality of work that D&B wants to deliver. “Our plan is to continue in a similar vein – controlled profitable growth with a reputation for quality and service.
CASE STUDY: Lambert Brothers Haulage
Turnover: Approx £14.5 million Staff: 180 (120 drivers), 86 vehicles
UK-wide distribution and warehousing specialist based in Eastleigh. Founded in 1960 by brothers Ray and Tony Lambert. The company was included in the London Stock Exchange 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2015 report and acquired by Kinaxia Group in March.
Lambert Brothers has profited from traditional business principles such as understanding and meeting customer needs, high standards of service, efficiency, and delivering (along with many consignments) ‘value for money‘, admits experienced MD Clive Watkins. “Reliability and reputation are key. If you get known for reliability in this sector, you win the work, and we are reliable.“
In an industry where minutes and miles really matter, Lambert Brothers is professionally focused, cost-conscious, efficient, and yet very accommodating for its customers. “We maintain attention to key operating criteria, but remain very people orientated.“
Sustaining profit has always been a management objective for Lambert and like many family-owned businesses it has retained hands-on involvement, enabling business awareness, agility and astute decision-making. This has been achieved by a reliable and flexible approach to customers and a friendly, employee-engaged open culture.
It owns a 7.5-acre site and all its vehicles; employs its own drivers and warehouse operatives, customer services, sales, credit control (“cashflow is crucial“) and admin teams plus importantly operates its own maintenance workshop to reduce vehicle downtime. Lambert literally drives its own future.
It doesn‘t battle for multi-retailing or container-shipment contracts, but focuses generally on added-value work. “We don‘t measure ourselves by the number of vehicles we run, but by EBITDA.“
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – OCTOBER 2015
BDO partner Steve Le Bas (left) presents Lambert Brothers‘ Top 20 Company Performance award to Clive Watkins
Lambert operates a wide range of vehicles, but that‘s deliberate. “Because we have vehicles to cover all types of customer requirement, we can take on the more difficult, more profitable jobs.“
Owning 100,000 sq ft of warehousing space is also strategic, to offer customs-bonded and stock holding facilities for customers.
With fuel and drivers representing roughly 70% of operational costs, shorter lead times and competition increasing in recent years, the need for more effective efficiencies to maintain profit margins has been paramount.
A major contract win in 2012 involving night work – “We got it through our reputation and reliability“ – has enabled Lambert to sweat its costly tractor and trailer assets overnight and achieve near 24/7 operations.
Shareholding membership of Palletline since 1993 – the UK market leader and award-winning palletised goods distribution network – has provided Lambert with a cost-effective efficiency cornerstone. “We don‘t run trucks empty nowadays.“
It has also led Lambert to embrace technology. “It has unleashed our productivity.“ Pallets are tracked throughout their journeys by scanned bar-coding. Collection and delivery is ensured with digital signature capture and real-time customer visibility can be provided.
Lambert has since developed technology and digital services for all its operations, and new owner Kinaxia will be adopting some of this throughout its group of companies.
So, what‘s the secret of sustained profitable growth? “There are everyday sounds to a successful business and I am happy with what I hear at Lambert,“ says Watkins.
If you would like to see the full list of the Top 20 Central South mid-market companies achieving profit growth, contact Cheryl Martin: 023-8088-1700
cheryl.martin@
bdo.co.uk
www.businessmag.co.uk
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AMBITIOUS
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