Smoke control firm claims top honours

A Caerphilly-based company specialising in smoke control and ventilation systems has scooped a top accolade at this year’s Wales Quality Award.

Smoke Control Services has built a reputation for technical excellence, innovation and quality, servicing public and private buildings throughout the UK. At last night’s ceremony at Cardiff City Hall the company was named as the winner of the Small to Medium Size Enterprise category.
Run by the Wales Quality Centre (WQC) the Award is based on the internationally respected European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model, one of the world’s most rigorous frameworks for measuring the quality of an organisation’s operations.

To be considered for a Quality Award an organisation has every aspect of its operations subjected to in-depth scrutiny by a team of industry experts.

Smoke Control Services Managing Director Allan Meek said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to win. We are undergoing a period of rapid growth, having seen turnover more than double since 2003. The EFQM Model has helped us to push the company forward and played a significant role in the company’s continued success.”

The Award enables firms to put all aspects of their operations under the microscope, from customer service and skills development through to financial management, environmental performance and corporate social responsibility.

David Phillips, WQC chief executive, said: “Smoke Control has excelled in many areas. It has a clear plan for development across the organisation, understands the needs and expectations of its customers, and has dynamic leaders. An emphasis on quality exists throughout the organisation along with a strong team-working ethos at all levels.

“Businesses use the Awards to get to the heart of their operations, bring their strengths and weaknesses into sharp focus and give them a clear view of how they can become stronger and more competitive,” he added.

Those entering the awards undergo a comprehensive independent assessment of their operations against the EFQM standards and receive detailed feedback on where they need to improve. The assessment is carried out by highly-qualified and experienced assessors.

The scores achieved during the assessment are evaluated to discover the winners. Following the Award process entrants can further enhance their performance by acting on the feedback from the Wales Quality Centre, and re-applying for next year’s Awards.

Mr Phillips added: “In many respects the Award process involves the most rigorous X-ray available of a company’s fundamental health. All entrants benefit from taking part, whether or not they win a prize. The Award enables companies to drive their business forward and is a strong indicator of what they are likely to achieve in future and not just what has been achieved so far.”

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