Swadlincote-based dealership Masseys Home and Garden Store, recently scooped the top award of Business of the Year at the East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire Awards dinner.

Peter Massey and the team collect their award

The company was classed as a medium sized business (20-100 employees) and the winners of all 7 categories were re-judged to come to the final decision of overall Business of the Year. Masseys were judged on their history, vision, management, financial performance, customer service and as an employer. The judges were complimentary about the dealership in all departments.

Director, Peter Massey, said, "When I walked in to work the next morning, all my work colleagues were paying me the compliments. I had to point out it was as much about what they do, and how they look after our customers, keep the store full and tidy and how they work with our suppliers, as it is about the directors and managers."

Peter continued, "It’s also an award almost eighty years in the making. My Grandfather started the store from a terraced shop. Over the years each generation of staff have pushed the company forward, increasing stock ranges, delivering excellent customer service. We as a company have moved premises twice, always staying on the same road, keeping that vital link to the local community as well as attracting customers from all over the midlands. 

"We have created the need for expansion by gradually increasing our customer offering, rather than taking the ‘build it and they will come’ attitude of the large chains (across all retail) then wondering why they sometimes fail and close having no link or history with the local community. We are proud of our South Derbyshire heritage and support several local charities."

Peter concluded, "The award is a huge moral boost for the whole company and a nod to our excellent suppliers. It’s also a boost for Swadlincote and retail in general at a time when the press is full of depression for the high street."