Thursday 13th June
LG Davis was set up in 1962 as a family business that provides a one-stop shop for all printing needs.
Liz Smith, the managing director, joined the GBSLEP Growth Hub Mentoring for Growth Programme to gain an external view on the business to assess which changes could be implemented to drive improvements and productivity.
She knew the business inside out but like most business owners she did not feel that she had sufficient time to work on developing the business, to get outside ideas in to help her grow.
As she said "I wanted a mentor to help me focus on the business rather than be on the hamster wheel of working in the business".
Having been introduced to her mentor from the programme, Head of Supply, Demand and Emerging Markets at GSK, they worked together to identify the issues and the solutions, which included taking the pressure off Liz, by cascading challenges down and holding teams accountable, identifying three possible improvements and changes to implement, and finally setting targets for the next two years.
Mentoring is about experience, knowledge and chemistry.
And Liz and her mentor hit it off straight away ticking all the boxes of a good mentor.
He was described by Liz as "very thought-provoking, probing with an eye for detail……also incredibly knowledgeable about manufacturing processes and best practice”.
Liz’s mentor even arranged a visit, for her and two colleagues, to GSK’s factory which described as being "a truly eye-opening experience”.
With explanations about the production system, they were able to see first-hand processes of the business, some of the recommendations her mentor provided from the Mentoring For Growth Programme to support Liz.
More importantly Liz’s time on the Mentoring for Growth Programme had a positive impact on the business, helping it to its best year for over a decade, delivering the previous year’s turnover in 11 months and making a profit for the year.
And giving it the financial clout to buy another niche business further enhancing the growth prospects of the company.
As Liz says "it has been a great experience and the business has benefited".