 |
|||||||
 |
|||||||
|
Since 1975, when the partnership was formed, Kerr & Smith have become a renowned South West Scotland business delivering a service which is difficult to rival in the market in which they compete. From a turnover of £100k to £30m (achieved in their 30th year), the once two man team now employ over 160 people localised to their business and are without a doubt proud of their achievement. There is no doubt that forward thinking by the directors and management team towards customer service has allowed them to deliver this. There is no successful company without people and therefore a key element of success is the welfare of the whole team. Kerr & Smith are committed to quality, safety and welfare by the implementation of ISO9001:2000 approved by B.S.I. and Investors in People (I.I.P.) and operate an open door policy for employees and customers alike. Kerr & Smith say ‘The community is our business and without their support we cannot survive, therefore it will be our intention to continue to promote ourselves locally and react positively to requests from groups, associations or individuals whom we can assist by donating gifts or offering our expertise to them’. 30 years of experience has told Kerr & Smith that they need to be focused on spreading support over a wider community and by recording and sifting the many requests they receive, they are able to apply a structured longer term approach to our business in the community projects. Kerr & Smith now allocate an annual budget to the subject and have a dedicated community co-ordinator who is empowered to distribute assistance to applicants who meet the criteria required. They are still actively involved in the “Determined to Succeed” schools project. This will pave the way for them to assist the community in their efforts to reduce anti social behaviour, which unfortunately has a direct effect on the business community. The Company vision is to build stronger links with the younger community and involve them in work placement projects in an effort to give them an interest away from anti social behaviour. Kerr & Smith have a permanent community link with Strathclyde Fire & Rescue retained fire fighters. They have always employed retained fire fighters and currently have four at Cumnock, who get special release from their work to attend emergency incidents in their local community. The business disruption that this can cause is offset by the reward of hearing that a life or property has been saved with the help of someone employed by their company. Recently, Kerr & Smith provided YipWorld, Cumnock with a stand at Ayr Agricultural show. Within this YipWorld demonstrated the T.A.R.D.I.S project in which we are actively involved. They are also current Partners for Business with The Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce; this has actively proven to be beneficial to both Kerr & Smith and other local companies. Other involvements include the Round Table, Glaisnock Tryst and Glaisnock Trust in which they have a 5 years rolling sponsorship. The brand awareness of Kerr and Smith is high and the company is well respected by many community associations and due to the professional way they handle applications for community support, they are able to keep the lines of communication open when budget restrictions necessitate certain applications to be declined. They also ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations where applicable. Their ISO9001:2000 accreditation ensures that they comply with all legislation. Kerr & Smith currently have a manager enrolled in the current Ayrshire Environmental Management Initiative (AEMI). This will enable them to keep up with environmental energy audit procedures. In most recent times, they celebrated their 30 year anniversary of the business and invited staff, customers and suppliers alike to join them in the auspicious occasion. Kerr & Smith seek to be honest and fair in their relationships with customers. An openness to listen to the Customer, no matter how small or large their concern and resolve it to mutual satisfaction has allowed them to thrive in difficult markets, for the past 30 years. ABIC would like to offer Congratulations to Kerr & Smith on an excellent Silver Award submission. Kerr & Smith t: 01290 422440 NB: All case studies are based on the Organisation’s Award submission. |
