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Drivers Direct's Annual Black Tie Ball

Drivers Direct’s Annual Black Tie Ball

Every year we host our charity black tie ball in London and it’s always been a fantastic way to bring all the Drivers Direct branches together in celebration.  The evening also gives us the opportunity to award employees and branches that have stood out over the past year.  Here at Drivers Direct we believe it’s incredibly important to give credit where credit’s due and rewarding effort accordingly with luxury trips to London, Paris or the Big Apple itself!

Our company ball isn’t just about us though: each year we pick a charity to support, months in advance of the ball.  Last year we supported the Victory Services Club and raised £2,500 throughout the year with the help of our 2017 ball.  This year, our teams nominated the NSPCC to support, the UK’s leading charity working to protect children from abuse.  We’re delighted to announce that the event raised £2,000 for the NSPCC and we’d like to give a huge thank you to all of our Driver Direct employees for helping to make it possible!

Guests arrived at the Victory Services Club in London in black tie with smiles on their faces as they reunited with colleagues across the UK – ready to join in with a drink or two and enjoy a delicious three-course meal.

Sarah, branch manager of the Preston office, was the lucky winner of a trip to New York after her branch was recognised as the winner of Drivers Directs League 1.  We’re very excited for Sarah and can’t wait to hear all about her trip across the pond.

We asked Sarah about her big win and she said, “I am over the moon!  I can’t believe I’m going to New York, it definitely hasn’t sunk in yet, but it will be an incredible trip.  I’m so thankful and it means a lot to know I’m valued, and I’m really motivated for another successful year!”

Doncaster had another success this time around after winning a luxury trip to London last year. Jason Hardisty, the branch manager has been lucky enough to win a trip to Paris as Doncaster were the winners of League 2 and was one of the most successful offices over the past year.  We’re looking forward to the staple picture in front of the Eiffel Tower!

Jason told us, “Paris is a city I’ve always wanted to see, and I can’t wait to have some authentic French food and see all the sites!  It feels fantastic to be chosen for this award and I feel so proud and look forward to another year at Drivers Direct.”

Jack Short of our St Albans office came 1st in League 3 which wins him a luxury trip to London and he’s very much looking forward to taking a break in the Capital as his branch was also voted into the top 3 as the highest-performing out of the UK.

“I’m looking forward to my trip to London, it’s a fantastic city but usually I’m in the hustle and bustle of it all, so on this occasion it’ll be great to relax!”, John explains.

Last but not least, Mat Rogers, the branch manager of Crewe, scooped up two awards, the 5 Year Award and the Highest Margin Award.  Mat took home a Drivers Direct trophy and an engraved Mont Blanc pen after being named as one of the company’s most dedicated employees.

We asked Mat what it felt like to receive not one but two awards, “It really hasn’t sunk in, I’m so proud of my Crewe team and to be recognised for my 5 years at Drivers Direct is fantastic.  My trophy is in a prized place at home and my Mont Blanc pen joins me at the office!”

Gethin Roberts, our MD responded, “The reason Drivers Direct thrives is because of the employees.  With this in mind, it’s a prime example of why hard work needs to be rewarded so staff know just how much they’re appreciated.  Sarah, Jason, Jack and Mat’s dedication to Drivers Direct really shone through this year and they’ve well and truly earned their trips!”

 

 

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Drivers Direct on Employee Appreciation

Drivers Direct on Employee Appreciation

Last week was Employee Appreciation Day and it got us thinking about our fantastic Drivers Direct employees.  Employee Appreciation Day is all about rewarding, recognising and appreciating the work that employees do.  Here at Drivers Direct we believe this is important as the staff across our branches are all ambassadors of the business.

 

When we formed in 2002, our ambition was to open 5 branches and here we are in 2018 with 22 branches and set to open 3 more this year.  Even though we’ve grown, we still strive to offer the flexibility, innovation and personal touch of a small company; and employing the right people is vital for achieving this.  This hasn’t gone unnoticed by Rob Hicks, one of our Regional Sales Managers who feels his work is appreciated; “I feel my work is always appreciated and rewarded.  For example, I’ve been taken away to France for a weekend golf trip in the past and received gifts from my Ops Director for carrying out tasks outside my remit.”

 

Every summer we hold an annual ball giving our employees recognition for their service, commitment and achievements within the business.  It’s also a great opportunity for our teams to let their hair down and have a fun evening with their colleagues, outside of the working environment.  Last year, Luke Davies the branch manager of our Cardiff office won a trip to New York after the branch was awarded for being the most successful of the year.  Other awards include, trips to London and Paris, or long-service awards for those who have been with us for 5 years.

 

Ryan Roberts, the Regional Sales Manager for Wolverhampton has worked with us for just over 4 years and adds, “Every year we look forward to our annual ball, we have a night out with our colleagues whilst raising money for well-deserved charities at the same time.”

Commenting on the annual ball Vicky Hinks, Administration Manager at Head Office adds; “It is a chance to meet the other branches and put names to faces, for me this is a great opportunity as working in Head Office I support all of our branches on a daily basis.  It allows relationships to be formed which assists in the smooth running of the business.”

 

To further show our appreciation for our staff, prizes are given to a ‘Consultant of the Month’ in each Region and there’s an annual visit to the London Comedy Store for senior managers.  Employee benefits also include vouchers and we also have a policy for promoting within to encourage development at the company.

 

Our culture here at Drivers Direct has been labelled as unique, honest, open and fair, and we strive for this consistently throughout our branches.  We also understand that our employers are the key to our success and that’s why we work hard to recognise and rewards their efforts as a way of showing our appreciation for that they do.

 

If you’d like to work with us, you can see all of your job listings on our website.

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An Evening of Glitz and Glamour for Drivers Direct

It’s that time of year again; the red carpets are rolled out, the tables are adorned with the finest bottles of bubbly and we get out our best outfits. The night of glamour we’re talking about is, of course, the famous Drivers Direct Annual Dinner, held in celebration of the company’s accomplishments of the past year – and what a year it has been!

In the last twelve months, we’ve successfully launched and ran a logistics division, increased the number of commercial vehicles in our fleet, provided more shifts, opened new premises in three major cities. We also received recognition as a corporate member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and have made a number of appearances at leading industry events, including Truckfest.

Of course all of these achievements would not have been possible without the hard work from each and every one of our dedicated employees. Naturally, there was only one way forward; to celebrate in style whilst raising money for a fantastic cause.

On Saturday 9th July, for the fourteenth year running, we hosted our prestigious company dinner. Taking place in the ball room of the impressive Victory Service Club near to the exquisite Marble Arch in London, 162 members of the Drivers Direct team met for an evening of live music, incredible food and exceptional company.

During the evening, in an effort to show the company’s appreciation for its staff, awards were presented for six categories: League Division 1, 2 and 3, Highest Margin Branch, Franchise of the Year and Employee of the Year, as well as a long-service award to those who have remained a part of the team for a significant amount of time.

We’re proud to announce that the following employees and branches were crowned winners (drum roll please!):

Employee of the Year: Matt Rogers from our Crewe Branch

Highest Gross Profit: Crew Branch

League One Winners: Sheffield Branch (branch manager David Dawson won a long weekend in New York).

League Two Winners: Cardiff Branch (branch manager Claire Osborne won a long weekend in Paris)

League Three Winners: Liverpool Branch (branch manager Emma Hughes won a long weekend in London).

Franchise of the Year: Northampton (franchisees: John and Bev Major)

In addition, Helen Walker from our Crewe branch and Vicky Meaden from the headquarters in Runcorn received the two long service awards after dedicating five years to the company and received a Mont Blanc pen and a certificate of recognition.

Finally, a special award was presented to Bill Tirebuck, a founding partner of Drivers Direct, who will sadly be retiring at the end of this month.

Not only were we able to celebrate yet another successful year for the company, but during the evening we also seized the opportunity to raise money for a fantastic charitable cause, and this year, donations were made to Cancer Research UK. We’re pleased to announce that the kind donations of everyone in attendance resulted in £1,200 being raised on the night, however, we will double this to donate a total of £2,400 to a wonderful cause.

Once again, we would like to say congratulations to all who took home an award. Whilst we were only able to present six awards, we recognise that every team member has been exceptional in their work ethic and has contributed to the success we have experienced over the past year. At Drivers Direct, we cannot wait to see what the next year has in store for us, which will of course be celebrated at the next annual dinner!

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