James Hall & Co. Ltd has celebrated the accomplishments of colleagues from across the business at its annual Achievement Awards.
Professional development was cheered and applauded during the ceremony at the company’s SPAR Distribution Centre as employees came together to celebrate the success of their peers.
Employees at James Hall & Co. Ltd, based at Bowland View in Preston, were involved alongside colleagues from within the company’s SPAR store retail division.
They were also joined by colleagues from within the James Hall Group of Companies at G.A.P. Convenience Distribution Ltd, Ann Forshaw’s Alston Dairy, Clayton Park Bakery, and Fazila Foods.
Apprentices who have completed Apprenticeships in a diverse range of sectors were honoured with qualifications including Team Leadership, Senior Leadership, Supply Chain, Warehousing, Operations Management, Retail, Food Technology, Software Engineering, and Health, Safety and Environment.
Employees who have participated in the company’s internal Leadership Academy were also recognised with programme designed to develop people skills.
It explores the motivation for personal and professional development and leadership styles, communication skills and emotional intelligence, team development, delegation and onboarding, problem solving, quality and continuous improvement, and the impact of learning and development.
Following the awards in the morning, the afternoon focussed on a training provider showcase where Apprentify, Baltic Apprenticeships, Blackpool & Fylde College, Lifetime Training, Linden Management, and Preston College attended and engaged with employees.
Aishah Ibrahim, fresh chilled, bakery and horticulture trading manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, completed the company’s Leadership Academy course. She said: “I can honestly say I have learned a huge amount from it. I have become more aware of where I can add the most value as part of a team, and how I can work more efficiently with my time.
“One of the other aspects Leadership Academy gave me was a much clearer understanding of our business from end to end, from the bigger strategic picture right through to the day-to-day operations that keep everything running. Seeing how all the pieces connect has really changed the way I approach my role.”
Veena Kuruganty completed a digital product manager Level 4 Apprenticeship with Distinction as she sought to futureproof her career in the company’s IT department. She said: “I really enjoyed my Apprenticeship, and it has helped me in my role in so many ways, particularly on project managing the roll out new products within the business from start to finish.
“It has been a hard two years balancing the demands of my job as well as family commitments and my time outside of work, but the result have been well worth the effort, and I am delighted to finish it and give my career a platform going forward.”
Paul Armson, people services manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the success of colleagues, and my congratulations go to each one of them. Career development and progression have been realised from the foundations laid by many hours of their hard work and dedication.
“The company has always offered a wide range of training and development opportunities to employees, and this has been integral to the growth of the business over many years.
“We have spent a lot of time and effort recently to enhance and improve the programmes we can offer people within the company in all departments and at all levels to ensure the business continues to thrive in the future.”
James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.
