Herald Business Awards: a celebration of Plymouth business

We were excited to join hundreds of local business people at the Herald Business Awards ceremony on 23rd April, held at Plymouth Pavilions. Aldermans was shortlisted for the Best Family Business award; and our founder Bill Alderman was also nominated for a lifetime achievement award.

We were excited to join hundreds of local business people at the Herald Business Awards ceremony on 23rd April, held at Plymouth Pavilions. Aldermans was shortlisted for the Best Family Business award; and our founder Bill Alderman was also nominated for a lifetime achievement award.

Our Family Business nomination was thanks firstly to the Alderman family remaining at the helm of the company for its entire 45 years. But aside from the actual family ties, Aldermans is a business with a ‘family’ attitude to its staff. We benefit from an all-age workforce, with seasoned toolmakers mentoring newly-qualified apprentices. We invest significantly in nurturing and developing our staff, promoting from within where possible. Through staff surveys and forums we aim to give all staff the opportunity to have a voice, and contribute to the future of the business. The result is a skilled and engaged workforce, and low staff turnover – many have been with the company for 10 years, and some for considerably longer!

Bill’s lifetime achievement nomination was also a worthy one. He started the business in 1969 with the support of his wife Lyn, and his expert toolmaking skills served the burgeoning Plymouth manufacturing community in the decades which followed. His vision led the company into the retail sector during its height in the 1990s, and saw investment in the suite of core machinery which still underpins the Aldermans factory today. Bill handed the reins to his daughter Karen Friendship in 2006, and continues to support the business today with his engineering and design expertise.

“Reaching the final stage has been a great achievement for us,” commented Karen. “Although we didn’t scoop the top accolades, we were proud to be shortlisted alongside some of the most prestigious names in the Plymouth business community.”