2009 Award Finalists

 FINALIST: Businesses with up to 250 employees

Catherine James, HR & Development Manager, James & Jenkins Garages.
  cathy davies
James & Jenkins Garages is a family run organisation operating across South Wales which includes Renault and Vauxhall franchises, a bodyshop and servicing division, vehicle hire and petrol garages.

Thanks to Catherine James & Jenkins has a loyal, motivated and committed workforce which is ready for expansion in the future and a business strong enough to endure the current economic climate.

Catherine joined James & Jenkins at a point when the business was struggling – sickness was high, time keeping was poor and motivation levels were at an all time low. Thanks to her efforts, the organisation is fitter, more efficient and more productive than it's been for four years, and overheads have been reduced by £200,000.

When Catherine joined the business she knew nothing about the motor trade or rental business, but invested time and effort to learn about every service offered at James & Jenkins, gaining the trust and respect of staff as she went.

She has created a culture of trust where people actively want the business to succeed, which has led to an incredible turnaround in performance. The customer services department, for instance, now achieves average mystery shopper scores of 80% - up 30% on previous years.

Catherine has forged fantastic links with the community, organising team building events to raise money for local charities. As well as staff being proud of and motivated by these events, they have significantly improved communication between departments.

Even more impressive is that Catherine’s role at James & Jenkins is part-time, as she also runs her own business in management and development. She is a leader in every sense of the word and has the power to motivate, support, discipline and inspire all at once.