___________________________________________________________________________________ Kanes
Foods
“ Now I help ensure the brand is being manufactured by companies like us . We are under contract and under license , which means it ’ s crucial that I have people in my team who are protecting and enhancing our overall reputation .” Considering Kanes Foods works for five of the UK ’ s biggest retailers – Asda , Aldi , Morrison , Sainsbury ’ s and Lidl , as well as providing to over 100 suppliers – maintaining consistent quality is critical .
People first
One piece of advice the managing director has held onto throughout his career is to respect others . In fact , during our interview , the words hang proudly in a frame behind him . “ I have on my wall how I like to act as an individual , and I use it as a recalibration . It says : ‘ The golden rule is to treat everyone else as I would like to be treated myself .’ So regardless of who you are in this organization , I will interact with you in the same way that I would like others to interact with me .”
These words have filtered through the company ’ s culture and created an atmosphere of support and care . Over recent years , Ian highlights how the company has made serious adjustments to provide its employees with a healthy work-life balance . “ A massive change in the company ’ s culture has been from working five , eight-hour days to working an average of three and a half working days of 12-hour shifts .
“ I believe culture is driven by behavior . In my opinion , it comes from the leaders , who set the example , as well as the individuals in the business . You can ’ t behave in one way and expect a different culture ,” expresses Ian .
Furthermore , industries across the globe are battling against a labor shortage crisis . However , Kanes Foods has its own solutions . The business is doing an enormous amount of work when it comes to apprenticeships and is partnering with universities to encourage younger generations into the food sector . “ We take on four apprentice engineers every year , and that scheme lasts four years . So , over the course of those four years , we ’ ll have a total of 16 apprentices . We have a partnership with local universities . I ’ d like to see us expand our apprenticeship schemes across the business ’ departments . It ’ s also just great to see some of the apprentices go on to become part of the senior management team , so I ’ m keen to grow that aspect .”
Speaking of growth , the future is looking exceptionally bright for Kanes Foods . Ian brings our conversation to a close on the topic of his vision for the business in five years ’ time . “ My primary objective is to secure longterm stability for the business . The country is facing massive inflation at the moment , and coupled with Brexit and the labor shortage , we need to ensure our own agility against market turbulence . We are a major employer in the local area , and we also need to ensure we deliver on the expectations of all our stakeholders . Having said that , if I think about where I ’ d like us to be in five years , whether we ’ ve increased financially or not , I ’ d love for us to be a more prosperous , welcoming company where our team enjoys being . That , for me , is the pinnacle of true success ,” Ian concludes . ■
www . kanesfoods . co . uk
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