The Courier Business Awards, in partnership with Henderson Loggie, is celebrating 10 years of finding and showcasing the best businesses across Tayside and Fife.
With entries now open for The Courier Business Awards 2023, we’re taking a closer look at the impact of the awards on previous winners. This week we highlight the 2018 winner, Castle Water.
Castle Water is the largest independent supplier of water services to businesses in the UK.
Launched in 2014, it covers businesses in Scotland and England with customers from large multi-site groups with complex needs to SMEs, start-ups, and sole traders.
The firm is the largest employer in Blairgowrie, with hundreds of staff.
Business of the Year 2018
That success and commitment to customer satisfaction led to it winning Business of the Year at the 2018 Courier Business Awards.
The recognition was something chief executive John Reynolds says was appreciated by staff across the company, adding an extra layer of pride to their work.
John says: “It gave a huge amount of confidence to everyone who works for Castle through the local recognition of what we’d achieved.”
Since then Castle Water has gone from strength to strength. A programme of investment has seen it upgrade its technology and develop its staff.
It’s led to a change in focus for the company while also increasing the value to customers.
John says: “There have been significant changes. We’ve invested very heavily in new technology and new systems.
“So the business has moved from being quite customer service oriented to being quite system and data focused.
“We’ve had a very significant focus on internal training and development and on adding more value to our customers.”
The secret to Castle Water’s success
So what has been the secret to its success? According to John, it’s being future-focused and anticipating what will be needed in a dynamic marketplace.
He says: “We look ahead strategically in a huge amount of detail. We’re playing a chess game in a competitive market and against a changing commercial environment. So we look ahead and also respond very quickly to other things that are going on.”
John has some simple advice for those thinking about putting their companies forward for the Courier Business Awards – be honest.
“Be as open and transparent as possible,” he says. “Be really open about what it is that you do and the challenges that you face.”
And would he recommend doing it? “Absolutely. It’s a great thing to do.”
Entries for The Courier Business Awards 2023 are now open and this year’s winners will be announced during an awards ceremony in October. Find out more about The Courier Business Awards.
