Luck of the draw

Dave Luck Ltd is no run-of the mill painting and decorating business; the family-owned firm has won plaudits for its commitment to customer service and to training. The Lucks are also keen on environmental matters in the industry – most vexing is the question of what to do with all those

empty tins!

To say that director Denise Luck is on a mission might be overstating matters, but clearly she is vexed about the issue of what to do with all the empty paint cans. It’s not just the ones used by the company she comanages with her managing director husband, but all those untold thousands of cans the industry in the region must inevitably get through.

“I’ve approached a couple of manufacturers and suppliers and it appears that nobody recycles the paint tins, whether they are made of plastic or metal,” Denise says. “The industry is adopting more water-based products because of the environment, so I can’t understand why more isn’t being done to recycle the containers they came it.” Obviously, the tins need to be disposed of somehow, which is a cost to the business, so if the company is going to pay to dispose of the can, why can’t it be to an outlet that makes some environmentally beneficial use of the materials in some way? That’s the question Denise is looking to answer.

“We’re undergoing accreditation for ISO 14001, the environmental benchmark, and we’ve got them on the case to see if there is anything out there that recycles these kinds of things.” Meanwhile, the company is displaying its conscientious approach in other fields. The business effectively began as a man – Dave Luck – in a van, but in 1999 the company was officially established. Since then it has grown to a business with a £1.5 million turnover and a payroll of 64 staff. Though a small business, it is nevertheless one that has demonstrated a strong performance in training from day one. The company has around ten apprentices at various stages throughout the training programme, two of these are women, displaying the equal opportunities policy at work. The scheme covers on the job training and experience side by side with block release to Oldham College. Last year, one of the apprentices won a regional apprentice of the year award, organised by the Learning Skills Council, and came runner up at the subsequent national finals.

Alongside its commitment to apprenticeships, Dave Luck Ltd is also committed to wider training initiatives such as the CSCS cards. It is keen to ensure all of its staff are appropriately accredited in this manner along with CHAS accreditation.

“The apprenticeships began when the company was limited,” Denise added. In fact, it began with their son, as she explained: “He was at a school meeting, listening to the school talk about work placements, and it dawned on us as parents that we were expecting someone to take on our child but we weren’t doing anything to help others. That’s where it started from, really, and it’s been a rolling programme ever since.

“The scheme is about being able to offer local people, local youngsters, a start on lifelong learning – and it’s something we offer to both male and female. We have two female apprentices. It’s just something we feel committed to and we are very passionate about it.” Customer service is another prime focus of the company’s commitment. Typically, it has won Gold Awards for its approach, but this year gained the Diamond Award from QMS as part of its ISO9001 accreditation.

Dave Luck Ltd’s attention to detail in the delivery of its programme has gained the company a worthwhile reputation that has seen it draw business throughout the North West. Key partners include Wates Living Space and Bramall Construction, taking part in planned maintenance and refurbishment work, for instance, covering the painting and decorating requirements of those contracts.

“The majority of our work is in regeneration on the refurbishment programmes,” Denise added. “So we’re working around tenants and pets and all the day to day problems involved. We get regular feedback from the clients on our benchmarks to see how well we’re doing. We have regular site meetings on a week by week basis for any updates and to iron out problems that arise.”

So they’re no strangers to partnering work.

Nor are they strangers to dealing with irksome problems that a mischievous young mind can devise. Boys will be boys, as the saying goes, and children can be children so naturally the company’s staff have to work their way round a little mischief. Little annoyances, for instance, like closing doors in communal areas before the new paintwork on them has dried. Working with its partners, the company works its way around such problems to come through with a job well done.

Sometimes, however, the mischief slips into the realm of malice. Though fortunately rare, it has been required to deal with instances of fires being set in communal areas after they had been repainted. Again, team working with its partners, and applying a little creative thinking helped to solve the problem. That, and the application of fire retardant paints soon put paid to the firebugs’ vandalism.