Ensuring the level of service matches unique craftsmanship has helped a Hemel Hempstead joinery specialist almost double its business in the last year.
Quest Joinery, formed by Jeremy Theakston and Allan Jackson in 2011, has posted a £4.1m turnover for the last 12 months after securing highprofile contracts in London.
This represents a £1.7m increase and highlights growing demand for the company’s specialist joinery products and services, including bespoke reception desks, wall panelling and cabinetry, not to mention its ability to incorporate specialist materials including glass, metalwork and upholstery.
It is receiving support from the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP) to help capitalise on the expansion by introducing an action plan maximising recent investment in a new ERP system and creates a five-year business plan that will deliver £10m of annual sales.
MGP growth manager Roy Matthews sat down with the management team to look at potential challenges and market opportunities.
This initially looked at automating certain production processes and giving staff access to real-time data so they can make decisions on job planning, the supply chain and contract lead times.
Over £20,000 has already been saved in administration costs and the company believes the platform it has put in place – combined with the benefits of the ERP systems – will deliver it a 20% productivity boost.
“We were really impressed with MGP and especially the growth manager who had lots of industry experience and ‘got’ what we wanted to achieve and where this would take us,” added Mr Jackson.
“He suggested some simple improvements and then looked at how we could integrate technology and automation into our factory that manufactures a lot of our products before we fit them on site,” said Mr Jackson.
“Growing so fast can be a challenging time for a SMEs so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with Quest Joinery to help it effectively manage its growth and lay the foundations for future expansion,” added Mr Matthews.
“It has disrupted a traditional industry through high levels of customer service and the fact it offers the latest 2D, 3D and BIM design technology, as well as expert joinery and fit-out Above: Quest staff check cabinetry CAD drawings services. The business model is working and generating lots of new opportunities.”
Quest Joinery has invested more than £250,000 on a new CNC router and the ERP system, as well as taking on a further 10 staff.
Mr Theakston said both directors had founded the firm after being involved in the industry and being regularly let down by sub-contractors when it came to delivering a good service and completing jobs on time.
“That was how Quest was formed and we haven’t really looked back over the last eight years, with the last two in particular marking our transformation into one of the first names chosen by architects, construction firms and property developers,” he said.
Quest is completing contracts worth over £2m, including projects at Chelsea Barracks, City offices, and the Clarges luxury commercial and residential development in Mayfair.
“Our clients choose us for our unique design, craftsmanship and, importantly, for the way we project manage the work so that everything is completed on time, to budget and without any inconvenience to the end user,” said Mr Theakston.
