A.F. Blakemore Graduate Programme 2017 Candidate Pack Page 1 of 11
Content: 1. Letter from the Managing Director 2. The Company 3. Purpose and Values 4. The Graduate Programmes 5. The Candidates 6. The Rewards Page 2 of 11
1. Letter from the Managing Director Dear Graduate Thank you for taking an interest in our amazing business. Within this pack you will find a lot of relevant information that should help you understand our business in more detail. In addition to sharing this information with you I also wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about my personal belief in this organisation. We have been around for 100 years and our objective is that we have a sustainable future as a family owned business. The Purpose and the Values that will secure this long-term success are outlined in what we refer to as The Blakemore Way: Our Purpose: To grow a family business in ways that are profitable and sustainable for the benefit of our staff, customers and community. Our Values: Maximise staff potential and their contribution to the company s success. Give great service to all our customers and add value to our trade partners. Make a significant, positive contribution to the community. Attain excellence in everything we do. Behave with honesty and integrity in all our relationships. We introduced The Blakemore Way to ensure that the identity and unique culture of the company is maintained and to empower all of our team to play a role in the future success of our business - these are not just words on a mission statement but values that you will witness in our everyday work. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us and I look forward to meeting you in due course. Peter Blakemore A.F. Blakemore Group Managing Director Page 3 of 11
2. The Company A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd began life in 1917 as a single counter service food store in Wolverhampton and has grown into a grocery wholesaling, distributing and retailing company that now employs more than 8,000 people with a turnover of 1.3 billion. A.F. Blakemore has become one of the biggest and most successful family-owned enterprises in the UK, in part because of what it stands for and the way it does business. The Blakemore Way, which is the company s official values statement, outlines the company s longstanding commitment to developing a loyal and dedicated workforce that is focused on excellent customer service and behaving with integrity. The company has always emphasised the importance of building partnerships with suppliers and trade partners and never underestimates the role that it plays within the communities it serves. Peter Blakemore, the current managing director, joined the business in 1965 and in 1975 took it into the SPAR UK organisation. Since then, through organic and acquisitive growth, A.F. Blakemore has become the biggest division of SPAR UK, owning 300 SPAR stores and serving 700+ others in England and Wales; it is also the largest member of Landmark Wholesale and a significant supplier of the independent grocery sector across the UK. A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd is split into twelve divisions: Comprises 300 company-owned SPAR convenience stores and a workforce of over 5,000 people. It is the largest division within the company and leads the way in convenience retailing across England and Wales. A trading, marketing and sales support function for the 1000+ SPAR stores across the Meridian & Welsh Guild, SPAR UK s largest guild of retailers. As well as small independent retailers, Blakemore Trade Partners also serves a number of leading convenience retail groups including Euro Garages, HKS Retail, ISS foodservice providers and MRH Retail. The company s overall distribution network spans across Wales to the east coast of England, reaching as far north as North Yorkshire and as far south as Kent and Sussex. The division operates from the ambient, chilled and frozen depots in the Walsall area, Talbot Green in South Wales and from Hastings, Sussex. Specialises in providing advice, store layout, design, project management and investment analysis for store developments to suit every budget, from the most basic works to a comprehensive, floor to ceiling refurbishment. Page 4 of 11
Comprises 14 cash & carry depots located in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Birmingham, Grimsby, Bangor, Barnsley, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Newport, Killingworth, Hexham, Penrith, Cardiff and Swansea. It is the largest member of the Landmark Group. Blakemore Wholesale Distribution is one of the UK s leading delivered wholesalers. The business has a diverse range of customers across the UK and beyond, servicing multiple and independent retailers, forecourts, vending operators, fellow wholesalers plus education, leisure and hospitality sites. Blakemore Foodservice is one of the UK s largest suppliers of catering products to schools, local authorities, public houses, restaurant chains and the leisure industry. Distributes ambient, chilled and frozen orders every week from sites in Darlaston and Wakefield. Blakemore Fresh Foods is an international meat trading, wholesaling and manufacturing operation that supplies the retail, food service and wholesale sectors. The depot is based in Featherstone, South Staffordshire. Is a unique distribution network that connects regional producers with their customers. The service provides high quality, local food and drink to trade buyers by consolidating orders and deliveries. Blakemore Technical Services is made up of the Finance, IT, HR and administrative teams serving the expanding Blakemore group of companies. The division employs more than 220 members of staff across its offices in Willenhall, West Midlands and Talbot Green, South Wales. Blakemore Creative Print is A.F. Blakemore's own professional print department. Based in Talbot Green, South Wales, the department provides services for all A.F. Blakemore departments and stores and is also open for external trading. Our Property division deals with site acquisitions and development and has a continuous expansion programme to acquire additional outlets within our trading area. Page 5 of 11
3. Purpose and Values The purpose and values of A.F. Blakemore were redefined by the Main Board within The Blakemore Way, to ensure that its identity as a family business with a strong ethical heritage is maintained for future generations. The purpose of the company is: To grow a family business in ways that are profitable and sustainable for the benefit of our staff, customers and the community. The five core values, which are very much in evidence within the business and are integral in achieving its ambitious growth plans, are: 1. Maximise staff potential 2. Give great customer service 3. Contribute to the community 4. Attain excellence 5. Behave with honesty and integrity These values have driven A.F. Blakemore s corporate commitment to positive and friendly relations between its staff, its customers and the communities it serves. One expression of this commitment, which is unique in its application, is the Blakemore Foundation, which donates at least 2% of the company s pretax profits to a range of small, local good causes in the company s trading area. The values of the company are also captured within its corporate responsibility programme, as an increasingly recognised exponent of responsible business practice across the territory it serves. Business performance is measured through separate objectives for the workplace, marketplace, community and environment as part of this commitment to growing a sustainable business. A.F. Blakemore s sales have almost tripled from 446m in 1998, and the growth momentum has accelerated in the past two years. The family business is well funded, ambitious and well placed to continue to grow in the short, medium and long term. Page 6 of 11
4. The Graduate Programmes 1. Blakemore Wholesale Distribution Key Account Manager Graduate This exciting programme within the sales department will allow you to become an integral part of the Blakemore Wholesale Distribution team. This role is responsible for all aspects of account management for the division s key customer. You will work with the sales team, supporting the execution of our growth plans and to develop the functional skills required to step into an account management role within an 18 month horizon. The primary purpose of this role is to develop and manage long-term customer relationships. This is an exciting opportunity with a broad mix of contact and responsibilities. This is not a role for someone looking for routine. This is a role suited to a dynamic individual, who is keen to learn, make their mark on the world and have fun in the process. 2. Blakemore Logistics Transport Graduate This role will give you an insight into the Logistics division with A.F. Blakemore. The first few months you will spend some time at our Transport head office in the West Midlands, getting a strategic overview of our group logistics plans and spending time with a current Transport Graduate. After this thorough 6 month induction you will then be based in our Foodservice division depot in Wakefield fulfilling a role within the Transport team. Key tasks for this role will include: Ensuring that all areas of the Transport department are legally compliant To assist in the management of employees within the Transport department To ensure that all work is completed within deadlines and to a high standard To work on delivering change within the logistics division 3. Blakemore Retail Operation Support & Marketing Graduate This graduate role within our managed company owned SPAR store estate will give you a true understanding into the Operations Support and Marketing function within this innovative and forward thinking division. The medium to long term view of this role would see the candidate being involved in supporting central ordering and store propositions. Page 7 of 11
Key Tasks/Responsibilities: Communicate to and support Blakemore Retail stores and field teams Creation of printed marketing materials: POS, leaflets, posters, stickers, banners, vouchers Organising advertisements: newspapers, magazines, websites Support with the creation of Promo X (promotional material) Planning and managing of meetings and promotional events Data analysis and creation of Business Objects reports Maintaining store propositions through data analysis 4. Blakemore Design and Shopfitting Implementation Graduate This exciting role is based within our Design & Shopfitting division, which specialises in providing solutions to drive sales and profitability to suit every budget from the most basic works to a comprehensive, floor-to-ceiling refurbishment across our SPAR estate. The purpose of this role is liaising with key stakeholders to effectively plan, control and manage store refurbishment and installation projects within new and existing retail stores. Key tasks/responsibilities: To carry out site surveys to include photographs and completion of onsite survey documentation. Production of project plans detailing a programme of works with clearly defined milestone dates. Ensuring that all projects are carried out to agreed specifications in accordance with SPAR brand manuals and industry best practice, within budget/time constraints and in accordance with national regulations. Ensuring conformance with supplier terms and conditions. Adherence to competitive tendering and partnering processes. Formulation and ongoing management of effective control processes to ensure that asbestos, CDM regulations, DDA requirements and fire risk assessment requirements are managed effectively. Page 8 of 11
5. Blakemore Trade Partners Supply Chain Graduate This role will give you an insight into a very commercial part of the business that supports our independent SPAR retailers to develop profitable retail businesses. The role will be given a true insight into the SPAR Procurement and Trading team where you will work alongside members of the Procurement team to optimise the supply chain whilst working alongside the warehousing and distribution teams. Key Tasks/Responsibilities: Developing and reporting on key performance indicators for availability service levels and supplier performance Reviewing current processes and procedures throughout the supply chain, making recommendations for change in order to optimise availability Improving / achieving high standards of service, promotional activity and quality Additional to the above job-specific roles, A.F. Blakemore will also have additional roles available at the assessment day. These roles may be in any of A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd s twelve divisions: Page 9 of 11
5. The Candidates Qualifications: Education to degree level or equivalent. Licences: Full UK Driving Licence is essential Core Competencies: Achiever: Empathetic: Commercial: Communicator: Organiser: Pragmatic: Leadership: Politically astute: Creative: Has real drive to deliver results, is tenacious and self-motivated. Has real empathy with the issues which face A.F. Blakemore s entrepreneurial customers, all of whom depend to a greater or lesser extent on the services which A.F. Blakemore provides. Demonstrable commercial insight with very strong numeracy. An excellent communicator, with the ability to both listen well, and persuade and influence others at all levels within the organisation. Methodical and analytical. Able to get people to collaborate and work together. This is an organisation with its feet firmly on the ground looking for a likeminded individual. A realist who knows what is likely to be successful and when things are likely to be acceptable / accepted. Patient and resilient. Strong team leadership skills; ability to engage and empower high performing teams. Knows when to challenge and when to acquiesce; has the ability to communicate at all levels, can relate to people at all levels. Takes an active interest in the business operations. A creative thinker capable of developing innovative solutions for the unique A.F. Blakemore business. Generates solutions that are distinctive and can derive commercial advantage. Seeks out best practices and shares these for the common benefit. Conversely there may be five different ways of doing things, so flexibility is essential. Page 10 of 11
6. The Rewards The terms and conditions to be offered will reflect the importance of these roles and its potential to impact on the whole of A.F. Blakemore. Salary: Pension: Life Cover: Holidays: 18,500 pa, increasing 500 every 6 months for 2 years to 20,500 pa (subject to satisfactory performance). Contributory Money Purchase Scheme up to 5% matched by the company, minimum of 2% employee contribution. Pension scheme members also attract PHI cover. 2 year qualifying period applies. 1 x salary for non company pension scheme members and 6 x salary for company pension scheme members 26 days, plus 8 public holidays Additional benefits include: Company Sick Pay Scheme Staff Discount Scheme Long Service Awards Childcare Vouchers Cycle to Work Scheme Plus - Employee volunteering opportunities through our recognised responsible business programme. Page 11 of 11