Listers add a special award to the trophy cabinet
Posted on 20/07/2015
It was a barmy summer’s night in July when the inaugural Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards event took place at the County Showground. Mixing with over 400 of the great and the good of the Staffordshire Business Community, Lister Trade Frames of Stoke on Trent arrived en masse ready to battle it out for a new award to add to their trophy cabinet.
Listers are a company who have proudly traded for four decades in Stoke on Trent supplying windows, doors and conservatories to the trade. Throughout their trading history, Listers have lived by one golden rule, “look after your staff and your staff look after you”. And this ethos helped Listers to scoop what they believe to be a very special award from the Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, the coveted “Employer of the Year”.
Recognised by a panel of judges, Listers demonstrated their commitment to their staff by providing exemplary working conditions, a programme of continued training and support and an excellent HR programme.
“It was a very impressive group of companies that we were up against,” commented Derrith Turner, Listers’ HR Director, “and that made the recognition even more special for us. We have won many industry awards over the years and each one has been of huge importance to us. But I have to say, to compete against other outstanding local businesses and come out as winners, is a real coup for Listers.”
What was particularly evident to the judges, was the way that Listers embraces Apprenticeship schemes and training programmes. Unlike many businesses who shy away from upskilling their staff for fear of losing them, Listers actively support their staff in bettering their skill sets. “We know that a company can only be as successful as the staff allow, so it makes perfect sense to us to make sure we have the best people working for us,” commented Derrith, “and if you provide an environment that they want to work in, then you shouldn’t have to be concerned about losing them!”
It was also really encouraging for Listers Directors to hear the judges comment that they were also impressed with all the people at Listers “who seemed to be fully engaged and enjoying their role. Listers was a nice company to work for.”
Listers have just come off the back of two record years in 2013 and 2014 and they make no secret of the fact that their success is down to a collaborative approach to business. They actively include their management team and their staff in deciding the best direction for the business and it’s this approach that has steered Listers through economy recessions when other companies have failed to adapt.
The evening was a huge success and the inaugural Staffordshire Chambers Awards surely cemented itself in the awards calendar. Listers would like to thank the team at the Staffordshire Chambers for organising a fantastic event and you can rest assured, Lister Trade Frames will be back to defend their crown and maybe even scoop another award in the process.
