 |
| Company: |
Switch Gear and Controls Ltd |
| Location: |
Haydock |
| Established: |
2004 |
| Sector: |
Growth |
| No of employees: |
29 | |
Having been a director of a successful switch gear company, Marc Shaw decided to move into consultancy, helping construction clients to specify electrical switch gear and control systems for new build and refurbishment projects. Finding that there were issues with the quality of products available on the market and the reliability of supply from existing manufacturers, he then decided to develop a manufacturing side to the business and Switch Gear & Controls has been both manufacturing and advising electrical engineers on specification since 2005.
Healthy beginningsSwitch Gear and Controls first sought Business Link’s help when the company expanded from its offices in Manchester to its manufacturing facility in Haydock in 2005. At the time, the company only had three or four employees but Marc was keen to ensure that the manufacturing plant’s health and safety was exemplary from the outset and Business Link was able to give the company the contacts and guidance it needed to ensure it was compliant with health & safety legislation and to gain ISO 9001 accreditation.
Expanding ambitions“From the outset, whatever we needed we were able to contact Business Link and they sign posted us to the people who could give us expert advice and support. That was a massive help with getting the manufacturing plant up and running and making sure that it began on the right foot with all the health & safety and quality processes that were so important to us.”
With the manufacturing plant established, Switch Gear & Controls also moved its offices to Haydock in 2006 and began the process of expanding the business. “We knew that marketing would be key to growing the business quickly,” Marc continues, “so we went to Business Link for help. Business Link was able to point us in the right direction to get our website and catalogues underway and they even helped us with contacts to produce them for us.”
Plugging the skills gapMarc identified training as a key requirement to feed the company’s growth and Switch Gear & Controls works hard to develop talent within the business through NVQs and Apprenticeships. Indeed, apprentice fitter wireman, Danny Renard, has recently been named North West Apprentice of the Year, an accolade of which the company is, justly, very proud.
“We have had a clear policy from the very beginning that you have to train your own people if you want to develop the skills you need,” comments Marc, “and I believe very strongly that you can nurture both talent and loyalty if you give people the right opportunities. Our plan is to take on two new apprentices each year and to offer NVQ opportunities to all employees.”
Business Link Northwest has played a key role in helping Switch Gear & Controls to access training opportunities for staff. The company is now working with two Business Link Northwest advisors, Phil Anders and Frances Moulding. Both have been instrumental in helping Switch Gear & Controls identify its training needs, forge relationships with training providers and ensure it reaps the benefits of subsidised training through the Train to Gain service.
“Switch Gear & Controls is very progressive in its attitude to training and the company is not only encouraging employees to develop their skills with NVQs through Train to Gain but is also supporting apprentices that have just completed their course with assertiveness and people management training through the Management Advisory Service (MAS),” comments Frances.
“We are now helping them to identify further training needs within the workforce and access suitable courses. The company really benefits from working with us on the training front – for example, we have advised Marc that he can claim back each trainee’s net wages for any time they spend off site on day release, which will help the company recoup some of its investment in staff development.”
Gearing up for the future
Switch Gear & Controls has undergone considerable change over the past 12 months after increasing its turnover from £1.6 million in 2007 to £3.2 million during the last financial year.
“We don’t expect to be able to sustain that level of growth year on year,” explains Marc, “but we do need to be able to sustain the level of business we have achieved and that has meant making operational changes to the business. Business Link Northwest’s input in reviewing the business and helping us access expert advice on training has made the job of introducing the changes we needed to make much easier.”
The company has recently invested in new equipment to enable it to complete more manufacturing processes in house and implemented a new management structure to ensure that the management team runs a tight ship. So in addition to the ongoing apprenticeship, Train to Gain and MAS training taking place, the company is working with Business Link to identify management training for the production manager and leadership training for the senior team.
“Business Link Northwest is an important partner for our business,” Marc adds. “Our relationship with them means that there is always someone we can contact for support and advice, which will be invaluable as we continue to grow.”