Corporate Vision March 2017

CORPORATE VISION / March 2017 83 , David Perry is MD of Perry of Oakley – he tells us more about the firmand how being a family- run British business stands them in good stead for the future. Keep it in the Family Perry of Oakley is a designer and manufacturer of bulk materials handling and drying equipment. The company provides equipment for applications on farms, commercial grain stores, feedmills, biomass drying and handling solutions and operates in both the UK and international markets. “In essence we are a family run business,” begins David Perry, who took over as Managing Director of the firm in 2007. “We were established 70 years ago by Thomas Perry who was my grandfather and we have a strong reputation for supplying high specification machinery that lasts. “Over my 26 years in the trade, from graduation until now, and in my time as a boy, I now do business with customers who remember me as a boy visiting with my father and we even still do business with customers who remind me of how they used to deal with my grandfather all those years ago. This is a great accomplishment.” The firm aims to be the leading supplier of innovative bulk materials handling and drying equipment in the UK and Europe. “We pride ourselves on defining the right specification to best meet the customer’s budget and their requirements,” continues David. “We also aim to engineer new products to be as versatile as possible giving us the maximum range of sectors to sell them into.” Being a family-run business and having a long-standing reputation for excellence stands the firm in good stead when it comes to differentiating itself from competitors in the market, and David explains further what else sets them apart. “As the market becomes increasingly competitive it’s tempting to lower the specification of the machinery to help meet the customer’s budget but, as we have been doing this for 70 years, we know that doesn’t always lead to the best outcome for the customer. Lower specification machinery often breaks down more frequently and needs replacing sooner. As we design and manufacture our own product range we have an excellent reputation for applicable innovation. “We are the most experienced manufacturer of bulk handling and drying machinery in the country. We are very proud of the wealth of knowledge we have in our extensive team of consultants and engineers. If one of our customers does run into difficulties we can quickly despatch one of our team out to their site and have them back up and running quickly and effectively. We also carry one of the biggest inventories of spares in the country which enables a rapid turnaround to support our customers right when they need it. “The deep working knowledge we have of our customers’ needs, coupled with our in-house design team, production and installation capability means we can move quickly from idea to installation and adapt as we go.” At Perrys, it is imperative that staff are up-to-date with the latest processes and emerging trends in order to better serve their customers. With this in mind, David states that the firm has recently improved the tools that staff use to achieve the perfect client outcome. “Our customers want confidence that we will deliver on time so this maintains our focus on their needs and our timeliness. We aim to help our staff play to their individual strengths while delivering to as high as standard as possible. “We achieved an incredibly high percentage of on time delivery during the last 12 months and more than 90% of our customers repeatedly buy from us so we are confident that our culture and team deliver the desired results.” So what does the future hold for Perrys? David has big plans for continual growth from international shores and from non-agricultural sectors in the UK. “Over the last decade it has become increasingly obvious that, for export work, being British is a definite benefit, and as long as it is followed up by living up to your claims you soon earn the respect and repeat business from dealers and customers alike. Being a British manufacturer is also a benefit you can use in the UK and it is rewarding that this, and our history, are a key part of our marketing to customers. “Nothing in business is easy and the history and being British is nothing without the team of staff that work within the business - some of whom have been there many years and are much much more than just colleagues to me.” K Company: Perry of Oakley Ltd Name: David Perry Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.perryofoakley.co.uk and www.perrybiomassengineering.co.uk Address: Perry of Oakley Ltd, Dunkeswell Airfield, Dunkeswell, Nr Honiton, Devon, EX14 4LF Telephone: 01404 890300 1702CV72 “Over the last decade it has become increasingly obvious that, for export work, being British is a definite benefit.”