With no less than four nominations at this year’s BMJ Awards, Cornwall-based Superior Render Supplies Limited (SRS) is certainly living up to its name, particularly as it’s in the running for the Small Merchant of the Year.
“To be nominated for Small Merchant of the Year is particularly special because we are in a very competitive marketplace,” explains Paige Williams, Business Development Manager, who has been nominated for Industry Rising Star of the Year. “We are only a small business, so it’s nice to have a little bit of recognition, even if we don’t make the shortlist for the finals. Just being nominated shows the strength of our people and our commitment to them.”
The quartet of award nominations underline the progress SRS has made since its creation ten years ago. After outgrowing its original site in Newquay, the company relocated to larger premises in Truro five years ago, before opening a second branch in Plymouth three years ago. A third site was added this year in Exeter.
The fact that three of the BMJ Awards SRS is in the running for this year are individual accolades is an indicator of one of the biggest factors behind the company’s ongoing success: its people.
“My dad, Andrew, created the business after previously working for many years as a renderer,” adds Paige. “My sister also works here and over the years my brothers have too. We’re therefore a very people-focused family-run company with strong traditional values. I briefly worked for a larger company in the sector after leaving university, so I have experience of businesses where their customers are just a number. Thankfully we provide a much more personalised service here.
“As for the individual award nominations, the three of us are incredibly grateful to have been nominated in the first place. James Blackburn has been very influential since becoming manager of the Truro branch and has really made the position his own. He’s a great part of the team and we’d be lost without him.
“It’s the same with Tom Penhaligon, who has been nominated for Industry Personality of the Year. As business manager he oversees all three branches and has a great deal of interaction with our suppliers and our key customers. He’s been invaluable in building those relationships.”
Any company is only as good as its people, so being nominated for three individual awards certainly tells as a story. It’s therefore no surprise that collectively that SRS could also be potentially named Small Merchant of the Year.
“We’ve got a great team of 16 people across our three branches and while commercial success is the main objective, as it means our customers are happy, it’s also nice to receive external recognition too. We’re very focused on service and people buy from people at the end of the day.
“We are always looking to improve our offering and one of the most significant developments recently was the launch of a new e-commerce website last year. This has helped drive significant growth and get our name out there. Website sales increased by around 150 per cent.”
Another key factor behind SRS’ progression is the fact that founder Andrew’s previous experience as a renderer means he’s very much ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’, knowing exactly what products work best. He continues to liaise closely with the company’s supply chain to ensure it has the best possible range for its customers.
These suppliers have played a key role in the SRS’ journey over the past ten years, particularly in terms of support regarding branding and signage. Baumit, for instance, built an entire training centre at the new Exeter branch, the first of its kind in the South-West.
Despite the locations of its branches, through third-party couriers SRS is also able to ship nationwide. It can even provide next day delivery if required. The strength of its service, underpinned by the quality of its staff, is allowing the company to keep capitalising on the opportunities within the wider marketplace.
“We’re seeing growth month-on-month and while we appreciate that this sector is very weather dependent, the excellent summer we’re seeing has definitely more than made up for the very wet start to the year,” says Paige. “We are mindful that the good weather can’t continue forever, so we’re looking to add more internal products to our range.”
Despite the challenges that all companies are currently having to contend with, the commercial success and industry recognition SRS is achieving shows that it is overcoming these hurdles. The aim now is to continue building on this momentum by remaining people-focused and keeping the needs of its customer base as its priority. Further award recognition would then only be a matter of time.
