HavMain collect award for quality of training

A PAIGNTON firm swept the board in the annual Devon FSB Awards.

HavMain, building services engineers from Paignton, won the Workforce Development category, sponsored by South Devon College’s Business Advantage department. Stephen and Christopher Havill were presented with a trophy and cheque for £250 by Adele Dawson, head of skills, innovation and projects of the Business Advantage Team at the ceremony held the Palace Hotel, Torquay.

They were also named as the overall county winner and were presented with a trophy and cheque for £1,000 by Jim Howard, managing director of Vehicle Save Contract Hire and Leasing, the county winner sponsor. HavMain with a workforce of 40 was chosen as a result of its substantial investment in an ongoing training and development programme for staff.

Developed over a three-year period the programme includes health and safety, ongoing management and skills training and professional development and the company works closely with local educational partners including South Devon College.

Jim Howard said: “The quality of the entries this year was particularly high and the calibre of the winners outstanding. HavMain was selected as a result of its impressive staff training and development programme. As judges we were unanimously agreed its firm commitment and substantial investment, embracing each individual employee from director level right down to new recruits made them a very worthy winner.”

Stephen Havill, managing director ofHavMain, said: “As a business we have worked very hard to develop our workforce to add to the success of the company and it is wonderful to get a public recognition for this achievement. The ongoing investment in training is a long term plan for the company’s future and winning this award clearly demonstrates we are a local company worth doing business with.

“Since 2006 the company has gone through a raft of changes, demerging from a parent company, relocating to the Yalberton Estate at Paignton, combining two Torquay offices into one and rebranding the company. “With the need for companies to be aware of consumer demands and the downturn in the economy I am happy such changes were vital for modern and forward thinking business.” Another finalist in this category was Torbay Bookshop, also from Paignton.

The Service Excellence Award went to Helpful Holidays of Chagford. The company was asked to demonstrate its customer care policy both internally and externally, and how it differs from its competitors. The agency also provided a brief case study and supported its entry with testimonials.

Moray Bowater, Helpful Holidays general manager, said: “We are delighted to have won this important award. This is a great personal credit to our team and a testament to the level of service offered by Helpful Holidays overall, as shown by a 95 per cent satisfaction rate from our questionnaires and a repeat booking rate of over 50 per cent.”

Helpful Holidays, www.helpfulholidays.com is the leading independent self-catering agency in the West Country with more than 600 properties in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and Hampshire.

Malcolm Colegate of Abbotskerswell, Devon FSB regional chairman, said he had been delighted with the number of applications which had far exceeded expectations and had come from all corners of the county and from a wide range of businesses. He said: “In these difficult times, it is so important to support small businesses in whatever way we can, they will lead us out of recession.”

The FSB is Britain’s biggest business organisation with over 215,000 members. It exists to protect and promote the interests of the selfemployed, and all those who run their own business. More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk

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