Sales boost creates jobs at kitchen firm
A Kingswinford company that designs, makes and installs commercial kitchens has stepped up recruitment.
Francis Catering Equipment, which currently employs 46 at its base in Ham Lane, has seen business soar from under £200,000 to more than £1.2 million within the past 18 months.
Aardvark Marketing Consultants and Heart of England Sandler Training Centre collaborated on a sales and marketing programme for the business, established in 1973, that has totally changed how Francis Catering approach look for new clients.
Chris Hutchinson, managing director of Aardvark Marketing, said: "Our objective was to generate £1 million of new business sales per annum over a five-year period. Using a mix of communication channels, and rigorous measurement, we have exceeded our targets."
Nigel Dunand, managing director of The Heart of England Sandler Training, who joined forces with Mr Hutchinson, said: "The beauty of the combination of sales and marketing means that once a lead has come into the sales pipeline the sales people know exactly what to do with it to quickly qualify or disqualify that suspect.
"Sandler Training installs proven systems and processes into the business by reinforcement training from the top down. To make a real difference a business has to want to change and be open to learning a new way of working."
Francis Catering Equipment employs a large team of skilled craftsmen, making it one of the largest design houses in the West Midlands. It designs, manufactures, installs and maintains commercial kitchens for a variety of sectors including bars, restaurants, schools, hospitals and local authorities.
"I can't believe how much the sales generator programme has changed the nature and values of our activities," said Francis managing director Neil Humphries.
"For the first time we have a process to deliver the quality and quantity of leads we need to hit our growth targets, not to mention the high returns on investment," he added.
The company has been recruiting for welders, labourers, drivers, ventilation engineers, plumbers, electricians, gas fitters and warehouse staff as a result of the growth.
