BIGINTERVIEW are a mixture of optical experts and manufacturing industry specialists. Central to their success, as Lee explains, is their “understanding of the need for change and what shape that change should take”. Their manufacturing site is one such example, constantly evolving, with £2-3m invested each year in upgraded equipment – on the understanding that technology does not stand still. It is this willingness to adapt, that allows Vision Labs to stay ahead of the curve and meet the staggering demand for their services that has seen the business grow by over 40% in a year. Rapid growth can prove a challenge, from the increase in employees to changes in the working environment and keeping up productivity throughout. The 2017 consolidation saw an additional 110 employees join the Kidderminster site – many of whom were trained from scratch. Central to meeting the challenge was “effective planning and project management, combined with good communication.” explains Lee. Vision Labs is clearly committed to developing their team, in addition to their initial training – great emphasis is placed on employees’ continued professional development. Support is given to staff at all levels to develop their skills, with the business investing heavily in apprenticeships and NVQs. Training is provided for those in management roles too, with help at hand for everyone from those stepping into a supervisory role for the first time to the leadership team. The nature of their work means that many staff are also given bespoke optical training too, with a heavy emphasis on maths and physics. “Development is the key to everything we do”, explains Lee. “In addition to our apprenticeship levy, we invest heavily in training, providing lots of opportunities for our employees at all levels. “Our team is a huge part of our success, they are the driving force that makes our success possible and we are immensely proud of them. Together, we are proud to be a part of the Specsavers Group and proud to be recognised independently as Vision Labs too.” Such is their commitment to developing their team, that they’ve attained the Gold Investors in People award – in addition to which they collected the 2017 Gold Employer of the Year (250+ employees) award. Over the years they have also won a number of Chamber awards too, including ‘Business of the Year 2018’. What speaks volume about their approach to business is their corporate social responsibility. Meeting the strict criteria necessary to gain the ISO 14001:2015 accreditation for environmental management, is just one
Lee Timbrell, General Manager
example, meaning they provide evidence annually of how they’ve reduced their environmental impact. At the moment, they are working with Cambridge University on a project to find the best use for the plastic waste from their lens cutting process. Support for charities is also important, with three charities in our region receiving assistance from Vision Labs: Kemp Hospice, the Midlands
Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce
Air Ambulance and Macmillan Cancer Support. Staff are invited to contribute ideas for additional charitable activities throughout the year, with recent examples including a ‘Jeans for Genes’ day. Vision Labs, it is clear, is a business with a huge respect for their customers, their team and their local community – with their commitment to service driving far more than business success.
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