The winner of the ECA Industry Awards’ £5-£20 million turnover category was W Portsmouth & Co Ltd, the London and Bedford-based company that is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
The awards recognise ECA member companies who have demonstrated the highest standards in their respective categories over the previous 12 months.
W Portsmouth’s managing director Dave Norsworthy said that after 60 years, it was about time to show that taking a long-term perspective on business paid dividends.
“We were asked what was our ‘star quality’ – what it was that set us apart from the competition,” he said. “Our answer was ‘being authentic to our vision’. That is what has sustained us: from our first registration as a company in 1958, to where we are today. Our vision is quite simple: always to maintain good relationships with our customers and suppliers – and deliver what we say we will deliver, when we say and to the highest quality.”
Just being in business for years was not in itself a guarantee of success, though, he added. “We constantly explore new markets and evolve our methods of working; seeking sustained year-on-year growth, but with security and stability. We choose our clients with care, and we care for our workforce too, to ensure they have continuity and security of employment.”
This approach has brought continued contract success, said Dave. Client contracts cited in evidence ranged from MBDA to University College London and the NHS, the biggest project of which was Chase Farm Hospital, designed to be ‘the newest, most digitally-advanced hospital in the NHS.’
ECA Group London regional manager Malcolm Conby praised W Portsmouth’s achievement, saying, “They have an impressive range of loyal customers, an enviable health and safety record and an outstanding record of longevity; but are right up-to-the-minute in their working methods and techniques – and they place collaborative working at the heart of their approach to business. Their success in this year’s award is a very well-deserved tribute.”
