Suppliers Policy

Currently credit references from trade creditors are rarely given and if so, quite guardedly due to the litigious nature of business in year 2009.

It is now our policy in relation to suppliers to provide a standard pack of information to prospective suppliers to allow those suppliers, to make their own decisions, to become a supplier to our group or not.

The Directors of all companies in the group have always stood behind the Companies, and all Companies have simple company structures, devoid of a complex web of trusts and holding companies etc. Very little change in the company structure has occurred in the last 30 years.

We no longer complete credit application forms, but rather, prefer to supply more detailed information in our pack. We have never withheld from supplying information to our suppliers and for 40 years, we have openly provided the Director’s private address, and their home phone numbers are always in the phone book.

We no longer provide Director’s guarantees for trade creditors as a matter of policy.

We hope that the information provided along with our reputation of settling every creditors invoice on 30 days, for the last 40 years, allows all of our suppliers or prospective suppliers to make a commercial judgement whether to supply us or not. We of course are not offended by a refusal.

We have no objection to signing an authority to request credit information on any company within the group.

My own secretary Mrs Ida Basson is responsible for all creditor payments, and she or I will take a call at any time from our suppliers.

Our suppliers, are as vital to our business as are our customers, and we treat them accordingly. Any well managed business, does not “kick its suppliers around”, I find it amazing in year 2006, that many businesses still do so.

DAMIEN COLE