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 | | A-PLANT DECLARED THE CREAM OF UKENTERPRISE | | | A-Plant | | 18/01/2007 | | |
Leading equipment rental company, A-Plant, has been declared the cream of business enterprise in one of the most respected and fiercely fought business contests in the UK. A-Plant - which hires out plant, tools and specialist equipment to customers nationwide - was declared winner of both the Customer Focus Award and the HSE Health and Safety Award at The National Business Awards North West Regional Finals 2006, sponsored by Orange, hosted at Manchester's Palace Hotel.
The National Business Awards are the highest accolade that British businesses can aspire to achieve and have been acknowledged by The Chancellor of the Exchequer as the UK's 'Business Oscars'. The awards are designed to illustrate that companies have a world-class business, in terms of best practice and operational values. The judging panel included representatives from the likes of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the Institute of Customer Service and the Institute of Directors. For the judging criteria, The Customer Focus Award was made to the organisation that best demonstrated that it has the customer at the heart of its business. For the HSE Health and Safety Award, entrants had to prove a good health and safety record and demonstrate that health and safety is an integral part of management processes.
As well as winning the Customer Focus and HSE Health and Safety Awards, A-Plant - which has over 2,000 employees nationwide, depots across the country and its head office based in Warrington, Cheshire - was declared a Finalist in an unprecedented three other categories at the North West finals; The City & Guilds Employer of the Year Award; The Award for Business Improvement Through People and The Orange Best Use of Technology in Business Award. A-Plant received the highest number of nominations of all companies attending the North West Finals and was the only hire company to be shortlisted as a finalist.
Upon receiving the awards, A-Plant's Chief Executive Officer Sat Dhaiwal said: 'We are absolutely delighted to have won the Customer Focus and HSE Health and Safety Awards which are rigorously judged by pre-eminent business experts. Over the last 12 months, we've made some fantastic progress in creating a 'Customer First Culture' and we've really focused on extending our Health and Safety responsibilities to customers, suppliers and our employees by introducing an extensive site safety pack which has been applauded throughout the industry. It's excellent news that the advances we've made have been recognised.'
As winner of the Customer Focus and HSE Health and Safety Awards, A-Plant is automatically entered into the National Business Awards Final hosted at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel in London in November 2006. A total of five regional programmes have taken place across the UK and all regional winners are entered into the national final, along with five other finalists who have entered directly into the national competition. National winners could then co through to the European Business Awards in Brussels in January 2007.
The National Business Awards are the first of their kind to cater to all business sector categories and organisations of all sizes, from new ventures to FTSE 100's. In all categories, judges look for evidence of three guiding principles - commercial success, innovation in performance improvement and ethics in respect of legislation, regulation, the environment and the rights of all stakeholders.
A-Plant's success in the National Business Awards follows the company's recent triumph at the Hire Awards of Excellence 2006 hosted in Amsterdam by the professional association for the hire industry, Hire Association Europe (HAE). The awards attracted entries from across the UK and European hire industry and A-Plant won the Excellence in Training Award. George Burnett, Chief Executive of Ashtead Group plc, was named Hire Person of the Year.
A-Plant generated turnover of £160.7 million in its last financial year and full year operating profits increased by 22% to £13.9 million. The firm forms part of FTSE-250 company, Ashtead Group plc, which has seen a remarkable rise in its share price over the last two years.
A-Plant has some 30,000 customers in the construction, civil engineering and DIY markets and has over 110,000 items of plant, tools and specialist equipment available to hire - from large plant such as dumpers, excavators and telehandlers, to smaller equipment including air tools, gardening equipment and lifting and safety equipment, as well as specialist equipment including powered access machines, accommodation units and rail equipment.
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