Sign of the Times

Hastings signwriting company CSM Signs has discovered the benefits of diversity without the benefit of good management textbooks. At the front desk is 90-year-old Jim Moran, who was apprenticed to the firm in 1940, owned it some years later, and still comes in part-time.

 

In the light, airy workshop, contract signwriter and mother of two, Melissa Watts, and 18-year-old Modern Apprentice, Lauren Berry, apply vinyl decals to a trade's truck, one of a fleet they will work on over the next few days. Another previous owner, Ross, also comes in part-time, fitting the work around other things he wants to do. 

 

The current owners, Brent Cullen and Ian Clarke, have found a formula that works for them and for their employees. It is quite flexible, says Brent Cullen. "As work dictates, if we need staff, they are there." The diverse workforce has a range of advantages. Keeping older workers on in a part-time capacity retains institutional business knowledge within the company. In Jim Moran's case, that knowledge goes back nearly 70 years. Jim is a master of the dying art of handpainting honours boards in tiny, precise gold leaf lettering. He also does the books. 

 

At the other end of the scale is the youngest employee, Lauren Berry. Her apprenticeship means the firm's knowledge will be carried into the future. Lauren's Modern Apprenticeship has gone very smoothly so far and Brent says he has "no problem" with the scheme. "There's a guy that comes in and checks on her, asks a few questions, and away he goes." 

 

For Ross and Melissa, the other part-timers, flexible work means they can fit around their other commitments. In Melissa's case, that means caring for her two children. 

 

Brent says he hasn't had any problems with employing female staff, and rather than being surprised, clients seem "quite pleased" to see a woman turn up with their signs. 

 

The physical aspect of the job hasn't caused concern either, although it involves lifting trestles and ladders as well as the signs themselves. "They're not that heavy, it's just a technique. Once you get used to the technique you can carry the weight. We've had no problems with the strength thing." 

 

The partners running the business work to their own strengths too, with Ian preferring the finer details of running the business and Brent getting on with making the signs. He's never got sick of it, he says. 

 

"I consider myself a lucky person because I enjoy my job. It's a little bit of everything. Job satisfaction: You can actually see what you've done."