It’s probably best to say that at the grass roots of business, you should not take any notice of what the government ‘promoting machine’ publicises.
Whilst I am sure that they believe a rising economy is good for all, that’s not necessarily the truth. We need to keep our foot on the pedal and not sit back.
More work is being tendered now than at any other time in recent history, and it’s down to us to make sure we get it. The sign business is hard and if you can understand and come to terms with that, your approach and work ethic can benefit you greatly.
Panic normally equals desperate discounts, where cheaper materials are used, time scales are promised and not met, and inferior manufacturing methods carried out to save time and money”
One of the major shifts of late has actually been that customers are choosing suppliers mainly on the service they can supply rather than primarily on price. That doesn’t mean that the customer is willing to pay over the odds, but it does seem that the customer needs their job now and they are willing to place orders if the deadlines can be met and they trust the quality of what they will receive.
Our approach has always been one of continuous adaptation and evolution, reacting to new trends, existing ‘streamlining’ efforts and our general enthusiasm for signage. This has always been a big plus for us, giving us a solid base to work from, as there are lots of other trade suppliers out there that don’t work like this who have started to panic when the quieter months came around.
Panic normally equals desperate discounts, where cheaper materials are used, time scales are promised and not met, and inferior manufacturing methods carried out to save time and money. All are big no, no’s if you want to survive and prosper in the long-term.
Touch wood, we don’t experience any dramatically quiet times and that is directly related to an approach that gives our customers the confidence that we will deliver what we promise, while our track record keeps them coming back.
After the hype
Graham Wilkinson, managing director, Hampshire Flag Company
It’s been a good couple of years for the industry, with the Royal Wedding, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, and it’s these feel-good national events that have seen us through the hard times.
That said, quite a few projects had to be cancelled last summer due to the bad weather and these headline grabbing events that stole the limelight—thus the take up of less glitzy jobs was signficantly reduced.
However, this year our work pattern has returned to ‘normal’ with a different mix of work passing through the system. It’s not been such a bumper year as the last two, but we are seeing customers’ attitudes to purchasing changing.
It’s not been such a bumper year as the last two, but we are seeing customers’ attitudes to purchasing changing”
We are forecasting, planning, and preparing for growth in the next three years or so. In readiness for this expected growth we’ll be increasing our staff levels by adding two new business development managers to our sales team and increasing our production team by five over the next six months.
And we’re not only investing in people—in addition we are spending a further £125,000 on the purchase of a HP LX850 latex printer, which will allow us to increase our production capacity in line with our forecasted growth.
The mainstream media may well be saying that we’re coming out of a recession and that the economy is back to growth, but the financial predictions and modelling that we have undertaken are very much based on our own forecasting rather than in response to such generalisations.
Pride in quality
Paul Farrant, director, FK Moore
Here at F K Moore we try and position ourselves as a supply partner that trades on a quality product, with an unrivalled range, and are able to offer a bespoke solution to a design issue where needed. This enables us to set ourselves apart from, and co-exist with, our competitors that offer a standard product by stacking high and selling cheap. I believe that this is the main reason why we have successfully weathered the storm, and why we will continue to match or exceed growth targets.
Although there have been challenging times, we are buoyed by our customers’ notion that sourcing a product domestically will not only offer a certain level of quality assurance, but also lend itself to a smoother transaction in which both parties can interact more readily.
Although there have been challenging times, we are buoyed by our customers’ notion that sourcing a product domestically will not only offer a certain level of quality assurance, but also lend itself to a smoother transaction in which both parties can interact more readily”
During quieter moments we are able to work on maintaining healthy stock levels so that standard products can usually be despatched to our customers for those inevitable last minute changes or additions to the plans.
By focusing quite aggressively on making efficiency savings within the company, we were able to become a lot leaner and more flexible in approach very quickly, and this will stand us in good stead going forward, meaning that we can build on the existing, lean infrastructure, rather than fitting to suit the previous.
Our export business has also helped with maintaining our position, the weak pound making us attractive to our European and North American customers. With years of low interest rates ahead of us and government eagerness to keep the pound weak, this should continue well into the recovery.
Pedal to medal
Debra Jamieson, sales and marketing director, UK Point of Sale
It’s safe to say that headlines are positive in regards to manufacturing at the moment, with reports indicating that both measures of the health of UK manufacturing have risen in August at their fastest rate since 1994. As a UK-based manufacturer, we are seeing green shoots, and we are ready to push forward for growth and to increase production capacity over the next six months.
However, the effect of the recession and the current economic climate is still biting at our heels, our customers need great products at a great price more than ever. Competition is fierce on the high street, and our job can no-longer stop at manufacturing quality products. The service we provide needs to be second to none, and we need to provide expertise to customers in sectors such as retail and hospitality.
However, the effect of the recession and the current economic climate is still biting at our heels, our customers need great products at a great price more than ever”
Value-added services, such as UK POS’ collation service are now in greater demand from customers than ever before, and it is expected that we will not only produce products to a high standard, but that we will also work with customers closely on all aspects of the process, including delivery and installation.
Furthermore, demand from customers for innovative products continues to grow, so not only do we manufacture stock items, we also develop new systems and bespoke point-of-sale products, making sure that we can meet expectations every time. Our customers’ industries are fast moving, so not only do they need high-quality, innovative products but they are also looking for suppliers that can react to their environment and show that they truly understand it, by being reactive, responsive, and reliable.
