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Overall success on the awards trail

An offshore catering company which has seen its turnover grow from zero to £11.2m in just under two years points to its fresh approach as the key to its success.

Entier Ltd, was set up in 2008 by its directors Colin Henry and Scott Jackson who had worked together at another company but were hungry for the opportunity to set up their own business along with Brian Collie and Mike Reilly of the Olive Garden Catering Company. Peter Bruce who also worked with Colin and Scott, joined in Jan 2009.

Their philosophy was simple: they believed that working offshore shouldn’t have to equate to a diet choice based on frozen and pre-packed products.

“Our policy is to use locally grown produce to maximise taste and to support the local North-east farming industry as much as possible. We use fresh Scottish beef for example not frozen and I think we are the only caterer in the North Sea to do so and that results in better quality food which is what we have built our reputation on,” said Peter Bruce.

“We all took a leap of faith when we resigned from our secure jobs and careers. Thinking we could start up our own business and actually doing it were completely different, “ he said. “Our personal reputations were all we had to build on as the company was newly created.

The reputations, coupled with a growing consumer awareness about nutrition and healthy eating, paid off. A contract with Transocean was followed by other contracts and the company now employs 250 people and has an ambitious growth target of £50m turnover by 2013.

“Our true measurement of success is the award of new business and new clients. None of the new business has come from competitive tendering – all of our new business in 2010 has been awarded on performance, trust and confidence,” said Mr Bruce.

The success of the fledgling company is reaping rewards in other ways and Entier is a finalist in the Overall Medium Size Business of the Year in this year’s Northern Star Business Awards.

“We are thrilled to be a finalist” said Mr Bruce. “We started business at the beginning of the credit crunch with some people saying we would fall flat on our faces. Well we’ve certainly proved them wrong! It is fantastic to be recognised for the hard work that the Entier team has put in and the belief and support that our clients have had in us to get us to the £11.2m turnover position we are in today.”

Joining Entier in vying for the award are two other companies which have put in strong performances during the recession. Axis Well Technology, a petroleum engineering consultancy and project management specialist which has seen a company growth of 2.4% during the recession and JKM Property Services Ltd which began operating in 1990 from a shed and which now employs more than 90 people.

That level of success during difficult business conditions has been repeated by the three finalists in the award for Overall Small Business with one of the contenders, Arrowdawn, provider of communications systems, also shortlisted as a finalist in the Best Use of ICT category.

Arrowdawn has increased its turnover by more than 400% in three years while maintaining a 100% customer satisfaction record with its clients. SPEX, the largest independently owned specialty explosives company in Scotland has enjoyed similar success, growing from four employees to more than 20 over the past year. The third finalist Xtreme Business Solutions, which provides a range of IT solutions for clients across a range of industry sectors, was founded in 2003 has achieved a pattern of focussed and sustainable growth over its seven year history.

The Awards, flagship event of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, take place on September 23 at the AECC. The event attracts around 1000 attendees. To book a place or a table, please contact the Events Team on 01224 343901/343922 or book online at events@agcc.co.uk To discuss sponsorship opportunities please contact the membership team on 01224 343934 or membership@agcc.co.uk