Spring  2008 trade suppliers of washroom and cleaning products
www.futures-supplies.co.uk  
020 8689 2072

contents

 
 
 
welcome to spring  
Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter for 2008.
 
In this issue we recognise green commitment from those around us, presenting our first ‘Green Award’ recognising the true passion and perspiration of others in helping to secure a sustainable future for us all. Congratulations to Dee of Mott MacDonald who picked up our first award.

In our last edition we featured our transport and logistics department, this time we introduce you to the rest of the team who work tirelessly to ensure we meet our customers’ needs by delivering service, quality, value and reliability on a day-to-day basis.

Our Award success continues and we hope that this helps provide evidence of our continued commitment to sustainability and inspires other companies to rise to the ever-challenging face of business in 2008, by introducing CSR and green initiatives.
 
I hope that you enjoy this edition and do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to receive details on ‘greening’ up your consumables for 2008.

Mandie Kemp
Managing Director
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who cares wins

  
The Best of Borough Awards (BoBs) is a showcase for the most successful businesses. Organised by Croydon Business Ltd to recognise the cream of the borough’s companies, the black tie event was held at Addington Palace and presented by Polar Explorer, Ben Saunders.

Futures Supplies & Support Services Ltd was delighted to be announced the winner in the category of ‘Best Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility’. Carbon Neutral, Futures Supplies is very vocal on green issues and heavily involved in diverse projects, including work placements for young disadvantaged people, charity fundraising and increasing customer awareness of product impact on the environment.

The judges commented “Complete unwavering commitment from Managing Director Mandie Kemp and her staff. We, the judges, felt the company shows leadership in its industry and in influencing the supply chains. For a small company they have made impressive and relatively costly investments in CSR initiatives.”
 
Futures Supplies, through its initiatives promoting sustainability and positive CSR to all companies, as well as within its own organisation is delighted to have had a proven positive impact on society and the local community, as well as inspiring other businesses to get involved.

For more information, go to www.futures-supplies.co.uk/awards.asp

 
 
Above: Mandie (right) collects the award with Tracey.
 
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futures awarded travel plan of the year

  
To reward and recognise dedication to developing and maintaining a high quality travel plan, Futures Supplies has been awarded the first Seltrans ‘Travel Plan of the Year Award 2007’ at a glittering and informative awards ceremony, held at Cafe Royal, London.

Futures Supplies was recognised for its Travel Plan initiatives, which include the purchase of four pool bikes along with the installation of a shower and lockers to encourage the use of green sustainable travel to its workforce.

Consequently, at least four members of staff now cycle to work and car sharing and use of the Croydon tram and public transport system is a regular part of travel for staff, reducing cost and promoting a healthy lifestyle. The company has also introduced home working and regularly promotes its travel initiatives through the company’s newsletters and regular PR.
 
By providing driver education through additional driver awareness training carried out by the RAC, along with the installation of vehicle tracking using a GPRS, Futures Supplies benefit from savings on insurance premiums, better fuel efficiencies as well as offering the latest information to customers on the location of their deliveries.

The company also runs two Toyota T-Spirit Prius 1.5VVTI Hybrids in its fleet, which offer an intelligent combination of an electric motor and petrol engine, resulting in outstanding fuel efficiency coupled with reductions in CO2 emissions.

For more information on the award or help with a travel plan go to www.futures-supplies.co.uk/awards.asp or www.seltrans.co.uk
 

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pioneering electric vehicle
Futures Supplies is awaiting delivery of its first electric van to carry out customer deliveries, providing a zero emission alternative to diesel vehicles. CO2 savings represent over 40% compared to diesel vehicles, zero exhaust pollution, zero noise pollution, and have recyclable components.

The Edison vehicle is a 3,500kg van housed in the Ford Transit body shell. It has a long wheelbase and high roof for carrying capacity.

The two-battery model has a top speed of 50mph, a range of up to 120 miles on one charge.
 
The vehicle will be run on electricity from 100% renewable sources, such as hydro-electricity, wind or solar power meaning that the vehicle leaves no carbon footprint.

Aware of the impact of its operations on the environment and recognising how transportation contributes to the problem of climate change, Futures Supplies feel they have a responsibility to contribute to a viable long-term solution. Protecting the environment also makes good business sense, as reputation is increasingly evaluated on a company’s environmental impact. Electric vehicles are more cost effective than diesel vans or trucks when taken over the average commercial vehicle’s five-year life span.
 
This is largely due to low “fuel” costs, as electricity costs a fraction of diesel. The maintenance costs are also significantly lower – the electric vehicle only has four moving parts, compared to over 1,000 in a diesel vehicle’s drive train.

Manufactured by Smith Electric Vehicles, the vehicle is reliable, quiet, built to last and is exempt from London Congestion Charges and road tax. The vehicle produces zero emissions and almost every component is recyclable.
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green energy commitment

  
Committed to reducing pollution and running a greener business, Futures Supplies is now purchasing energy generated from renewable, sustainable sources such as hydroelectricity, wind and solar power.

Reducing its dependency on fossil fuel and its carbon footprint, ‘Green Energy’ is exempt from the Climate Charge Levy so can save money too, resulting in a positive impact on Futures’ business and the environment.
 

For more information please see: www.edfenergy.com/climatebalanceforbusiness

Right: Futures’ ‘Green energy’ certificate from EDF Energy. 
 
 
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the voice of cleaning

  
The British Cleaning Council (BCC) is the Voice of the UK Cleaning Industry. It was established in 1982 to co-ordinate the affairs of the industry and to provide a forum for members to meet and work together to raise the profile of the industry and help it gain the credibility it deserves.

Membership of the BCC is open to any recognised trade association, research, educational body or institution concerned with industrial, commercial and institutional cleaning. Individual commercial companies are not eligible for membership.

The BCC currently has nineteen members, which cover every facet of the multi-million pound UK cleaning industry. They are: Asset Skills; ABCD; BACS; BACHE; BCTC-CAMRASO; BICSc; BTA; CIWM; CHSA; CSSA; ENCAMS; FWC; ICMMA; Keep Wales Tidy; NCCA; NAWBW; UKCPI; UKHA and the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners.
 
 
Along with Quartz Publishing & Exhibitions, the BCC co-owns the worldrenowned Cleaning Show. This is a regular and well-regarded exhibition held at the NEC in Birmingham every two years, and is now a highlight of the international cleaning industry calendar. The aim is to provide a showcase that both reflects and caters for the UK industry’s needs, with BCC ploughing profits back into the industry, helping it pursue its policy of furthering the educational, training and promotional needs of its member bodies. The British Cleaning Council also organises the "Clean Britain Awards" scheme. The competition final coincides with The Cleaning Show, next taking place at the Birmingham NEC on 10th March 2009.

 The objectives of the bcc.
 

Eibhlin O'Somachain,
Communicatons & Marketing
Manager, BCC.
 
 
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delivering customer service excellence

At Futures Supplies we are passionate about customer service and committed to the company’s ethos to deliver service, quality, value, reliability and sustainability. In the last issue, we introduced the Transport team, but also playing a major part in the company’s commitments are the front line Sales and Administration team. Here we introduce the team and their roles in delivering you the customer – service excellence.

service

quality

value

reliability
Delivering the service to the customer through a dedicated Account Manager, Tracey Holden is key to ensuring customer demands are met in relation to product awareness.

Well-presented, highly trained and experienced in recognising customer needs, Tracey helps provide customers with the confidence of service excellence.

Underpinning the company values along with the rest of the team, Tracey recognises the importance of communication on a face-to-face basis and makes it her business to listen to what the customer wants, whilst introducing new products and technologies as they become available in the industry.		 Ensuring the quality of the service and products from manufacturer to customer, Andrew Hills is the company’s Quality and Environmental representative.

Liaising with external auditors he has been instrumental in the company gaining and maintaining certification to BS EN IS0 14001 and IS0 9001.

As well as liaising with suppliers with the assistance of Lou Panday, Andy ensures smooth deliveries and accurate invoicing from suppliers, which is key to customers’ overall satisfaction.		 Ensuring cash flow is maintained and suppliers are paid on time, Marc Kemp is also responsible for special projects of which the most recent include the purchase of our first electric van and office refurbishment.

Keeping a tight hold on the company’s purse strings ensures we can continue to deliver maximum value to our customers as well as making use of up to date technologies, whilst taking into account the company’s commitment to sustainability.

This all helps save valuable time and resources adding real value for our customers.		 With over ten year’s experience under his belt, Daniel Hills is responsible for the smooth running of the company’s operations, including liaising with customers to ensure accurate and on time deliveries, with the help of Administration Assistant Solange Mbiya inputting customer orders.

Prompt response to client requests and firm commitment to dependability ensures customer satisfaction and accurate complete deliveries. Assisted by satellite navigation and a vehicle tracking system ensuring the customer has peace of mind.
 
 

If you have any comments or suggestions as to how Futures could improve its service to customers, we would welcome your input. Call our friendly staff during office hours on 020 8689 2072 or email info@futures-supplies.co.uk

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inspirational green awards

  
Futures Supplies’ ‘Green Awards’ are aimed at recognising and rewarding companies and individuals who have achieved environmental excellence through inspiration, perspiration and engagement, helping to secure a sustainable future for us all.

Whilst our ‘Green Award’ may not quite be the Oscars, we hope they will provide recognition for the unsung green heroes and provide well deserved recognition for their efforts, which may otherwise go unnoticed.

One individual who stands out in pioneering green initiatives not only for their company but in collaborating with others to inspire and encourage green initiatives is Dee Hyatt. Dee has worked for Mott MacDonald for twenty-five years and is employed as Facilities Manager, based in Croydon. Mott MacDonald has offices around the world, and was voted one of the UK’s Best Big Companies to work for in The Sunday Times Survey and employs more than 12,000 staff worldwide.

Nominated by Andy Hills, Futures Supplies’ Green Champion, Dee has worked tirelessly on her company’s environmental systems since becoming Facilities Manager in 2002.

Dee commented when asked how she got involved with green issues “I had only been in the FM position a very short time when we were audited for ISO 14001, and this really shocked me into realising how much we should be doing and made me look at environmental issues throughout Croydon. I was then invited to join ENVIBE, which was the turning point.
 
 
I have been truly inspired by ENVIBE and its member companies. They have made it fun to look at ways to increase recycling and saving energy, and the member companies are very competitive in trying to think up new ways to be environmentally friendly – especially Futures!

It has been tough trying to get 1,200 staff to pull together and separate their waste, but by using Green Champions we have turned the corner. The inspiration of others and their enthusiasm keeps me going.”

Presented with a trophy and a basket of sustainable products Dee commented, “What a wonderful surprise, and it is really touching to be nominated.”

Futures Supplies’ Managing Director, Mandie Kemp said, “Dee is a true ambassador for her company and her sustained efforts in relation to environmental and green issues are commendable and she is well deserving of this award”

If you would like to nominate anyone for a Futures Supplies ‘Green Award’, please contact Mandie Kemp directly on 020 8689 2072.
 
Dee Hyatt – Mott MacDonald
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Futures Supplies & Support services Ltd. 
Registered in England 3027826
Registered office: Willow Grange, The Street, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7DJ