LINCOLNSHIRE: Timber manufacturer, John Brash, has been recognised for its commitment to training and developing its workforce by scooping a bronze Investors in People Award.

The company has been an established Investors in People for the past six years, but following a recent unannounced visit to its Gainsborough headquarters, inspectors decided to elevate this status to bronze.

 

"Managers and staff are delighted that we scored so highly, particularly given the current challenging economic environment," explained John Brash's human resources manager, Elaine Glew.

"We take a very focused, inclusive approach to up-skilling our staff, which ensures they continually develop and contribute towards the advancement of the company."

The Japanese continuous improvement philosophy, known as 'Kaizen', has been adopted by John Brash. It involves setting clear goals and targets for employees, with mentoring provided for all staff from the machine operator through to management level.

Improvement teams have also been set up to enhance professional development, focusing on areas of the business such as joinery, batten grading, batten scanning and moulding processes. This 360-degree approach to efficiency, effectiveness and up-skilling has helped the company continue to win new business.

Health and safety was also a key reason for the upgraded bronze award. John Brash has recently provided risk awareness classes for all its staff to help reduce the danger of accidents. This has involved a four-hour fire risk presentation conducted by the in-house engineering manager.