The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has announced the four companies that have been nominated for the title ‘BMF Training Company of the Year 2021’.
E H Smith, Harlow, Huws Gray and LBS were nominated by BMF regional managers for their commitment in supporting and developing their teams through their use of BMF training.
E H Smith encourages staff to reach their full potential through a range of class-room based and online learning programmes. These include the Maximising Margin programme, which has run across all branches and a management training programme for branch managers. The company also encourages staff development through more informal programmes, with team members active within the BMF Young Merchant Group and chairing BMF Forums in Marketing and Transport.
Timber specialist, Harlow, has demonstrated the value it placed on training and continued to run face-to-face courses on sales and people management in a COVID-safe environment throughout the pandemic, as well as embracing virtual training in computer skills and subscribing to BMF Campus, which enables its staff to access online product and technical learning modules tailored to their job role.
Huws Gray has developed a bespoke training programme and an in-house BMF Diploma in Merchant Management group. It has also created its own online Academy Platform, with BMF’s training partner Cortexa and committed to taking on new apprentices in the coming year.
LBS has also developed its own Academy Platform with Cortexa. The platform includes access to all BMF Building Blocks courses, which give new recruits an excellent grounding in building materials, as well as keeping more experienced staff up to date with the latest products and techniques.
In addition, the company has made a significant investment in sales and management training running group programmes for the BMF Diploma in Merchant Management, the BMF Certificate in Merchant Management and an ISM Essential Sales Management course tailored to the specific needs of its team.
Commenting on the nominations, John Newcomb, chief executive officer of the BMF said: “The four companies chosen by BMF regional managers have all maintained, or increased, their investment in developing staff at all levels. I am delighted that they are making full use of the broad range of formal and specialist training offered by the BMF.”
The overall winner will be announced at the BMF Members’ Day awards dinner, which takes place after the BMF Members’ Day annual conference on 23 September, 2021
