Unusually for our sector where subcontracting fitters is standard practice, all Abbott-Wade fitters are employed. Once a joiner has joined Abbott-Wade’s extended family it’s only right that we should contribute towards their training, pensions and offer them paid holiday. It sounds obvious but it’s a rarity in our sector. It has the added benefit that it guarantees the quality of workmanship which can’t be achieved by using subcontracted workers. The company and it’s staff have an ongoing commitment to bring out the best in each other. While we have a Nationwide Service we only employ local craftsmen and apprentices, an investment into our local economy and community. We also work with small, local companies we’ve built strong relationships with over the past 20+ years such as staircase manufacturers, glass manufactures and printers in addition to supporting local events within the community.
Over the years we’ve been involved with local charities such as Tunzas Pride & Violet Graces Gift. Most recently events have turned our attentions to the Stroke Association. We try to look after our own as you would expect from a family business – even those who aren’t related. In January 2019 a long serving member of the design team was stuck down by a Stroke. In tribute to his grit and determination to recover and overcome the effects of this stroke, 25+ members of team; fitters, office staff, designers and directors took part in a gruelling Born Survivor event on 11th May 2019 and ran, climbed, hauled, leapt, slid and crawled through the wet, muddy and muscle 10km sapping course in aid of the Stroke Association. Like always, we were all in it together.
Staircases come in all shapes and sizes, but we like ours with small carbon footprints. As a family business, our children may one day inherit the Abbott-Wade name and reputation, but they will definitely inherit the world we live in and we have a moral obligation to play our part. We have selected ethical timber suppliers who are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified, ensuring the timber we use is selected from environmentally responsible sources. Our precision mitred oak newels are not only superior to laminated posts but they are also more environmentally sustainable as there is a significant reduction of oak wastage. Our waste wood is either collected by members of the local community to be burned to keep homes warm, reclaimed by local businesses to be transformed into bespoke goods or is collected to be recycled locally. We schedule our installations carefully to reduce the amount of fuel our vans burn and use local suppliers as much as possible to support our local economy and reduce our carbon footprint. Old metal balustrades and components are recycled and our brochure is even printed on recycled paper. Our office team correspond by email instead of consuming paper. Read more
We’ve always believed in treating our customers fairly and providing them with an excellent product for a fair price which we all the time and not by way of sales and seasonal offers. This way our clients know they’re always getting the best deal available without fear of missing out. We also send a gesture of thanks to existing customers when they recommend us to others. We know we’re getting things right in regard to this because our customers tell us and the recommend us to friends, family and in online forums. It isn’t necessary about building customer loyalty as this isn’t really a factor in our line of work, it’s very rare that a client will need a second staircase once we’ve been already been in – but it does happen when they may move house or build an extension. We also go out of way to help accommodate their needs as best we can. Many of the installations we complete are part of a larger renovation project and we work with clients and their contractors to fit our work into their schedules which inevitable rarely run to plan as other works overrun and require rescheduling. Our scheduling team go above and beyond to help them work with shifting deadlines. Similarly our design team create unique staircases working to the clients specifications which may not always be feasible due to available space, existing structures or building regulations.We work hard to satisfy the aesthetic needs of the client and the structural requirements without compromising function over form.