UK Enterprise 2020

142 | UK Enterprise Awards 2020 The world has changed an awful lot since Strand Europe first came into being as a business in 1992. Various new technologies have become available, and old technologies have advanced far beyond what many people could have possibly imagined, but the speed at which these things have changed has made business even more interesting for Strand Europe. Today, we take a look at the firm to learn more about how it has managed these changes, and maintained its outstanding service. Best Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company 2020 Jun20529 Strand Europe came into being in 1992, and has since had to contend with the speed at which technology changes. What began with video and audio tapes, TV remote controls, and blank media has since evolved into one of the finest family-run businesses that has a global license for a range of Kodak-branded batteries, LED bulbs, razors, and flashlights. Today, the firm supplies a wide variety of retailers in the discount, supermarket, hardware, and online channels, with a portfolio of high volume categories that are more stable and less affected by changes in technology that have made tapes and other forms of technology redundant. With clients and sales channels present in over one hundred countries, and a network of more than eighty local country distribution partners, this UK-based enterprise is nothing short of a force to be reckoned with. For the last twenty eight years of service, the Strand Europe core values have not changed, nor has its position in being a company that has an honest and service-focused work ethic. Listening to its retail and distribution partners, understanding their requirements and challenges, and giving them the products and pricing to make themselves successful is what clients can expect when they do business with Strand Europe. That, and the outstanding company portfolio of amazing quality and value to consumers from a globally recognised brand that they know and trust. Strand Europe was always strives to work flexibly with its partners to create bespoke promotional and standard ranges that meet the consumers’ needs at all times. By delivering on these promises of amazing quality and valued products, Strand Europe regularly shows its retailers and distribution partners that it is serious in helping them to grow their business. This, in turn, has led to an increase in the size of the retail distribution network that Strand Europe has built around the world. Having been able to also showcase these successes has allowed the firm to open more doors, and the increasing product portfolio has helped the firm to become a tremendously well-trusted and supported one- stop-shop for the product ranges it sells. A key part of what makes Strand Europe such a fantastic firm to work with is its staff, cultivated and grown from a core family feel. When coupled with the retail partners and local distribution partners, there are plenty of ways to describe just how excellent the staff and the culture are. On a daily basis, the firm exudes honesty, transparency, servitude, willingness, dedication, drive, supportiveness, and longevity in the desire to form long-lasting partnerships. Everyone at Strand Europe comes together to make the firm what it is, and to deliver outstanding customer service and trusted products to those who need them the most. When looking at the industry as a whole, there is plenty of evidence to show that the technology industry has changed massively over the last three decades. However, the battery market has remained relatively stable. With the miniaturisation and development of new products, Strand Europe has seen increased demand for AAA and button cells, with hearing aid batteries also becoming a new and growing category. The razor market is dominated by several key brands, but Strand Europe has an opportunity to offer a great quality product that is significantly cheaper than established brands. Looking ahead, the future is one of positivity for Strand Europe and its staff. With new categories on the horizon that will compliment the existing portfolio, the future may be changing the way that businesses buy and sell, but the excellence with which the firm does that will never change. Strand Europe is a perfect example of a UK-based enterprise that has moved with the times over the years to remain one of the most relevant and technologically-proficient firms in the country today. Company: Strand Europe Ltd Contact: Rishi Suri Website: www.kodakbatteries.com