The team at Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company celebrate winning their 2023 King’s Award for Enterprise presented by Lord Lieutenant Colonel Peter McCarthy at their factory in the Erskine Hospital Grounds in Bishopton.
Name of Company
Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, a division of RBVE
Year of Winning
2023
Category
Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility
Why did you apply?
We applied because we genuinely believed we were doing something remarkable and unique for the beneficiaries we support: veterans and others with disabilities. Since its launch it has supported many veterans who still bear physical or psychological wounds to this day. Despite these experiences, they have contributed to a thriving enterprise. The business has grown to become a major supplier of road signs all over Scotland including to major infrastructure companies such as Bear Scotland, Amey and to many local authorities the length and breadth of the country. It also provides commercial signage, health and safety signage and bespoke solutions for discerning, independent businesses including hospitality and sporting venues.
We have changed the lives of so many veterans and their families whilst also creating a successful enterprise. To win such an award would be the greatest testament of our achievements and of the hard work our team put in every single day.
What benefits have you seen from being a winner, for example customer feedback, marketing materials, sales impact?
In a word – confidence!
In a few more words:
The category, “Promoting Opportunity” (Through Social Mobility) sums up everything we stand for and the award was a great vote of confidence in our mission and our business. There is no doubt that bearing the symbol and the warrant on our wall is a great conversation starter for every visit and something we use in every presentation. It underlines our credibility and in many ways, our integrity as a charity and social enterprise.
What benefits did you see from employee morale and is it still something you tell new staff about?
Our team were delighted. We have always tried to engender a degree of employee ownership in what we do and how we do it and this award was very much a testament to their hard work to get us to this level. When new staff enter the building they see the award emblazoned on our entry and reception desk, and we always explain its significance to us as a social enterprise and what it means for them as a new team member.
What advice can you give to a company thinking of applying?
Put the emphasis on clarity, honesty and evidence. Focus on the criteria you have applied for and ensure everything you have achieved and are quoting is verifiable. If you are not already gathering evidence of your achievements, you should put in place the systems to enable that now. In our application we quoted several case studies, and being able to get the passion for our work across to the assessors helped our case massively.