European Social Firm Of The Year Award 2005
Pack-IT Product Promotions Limited, a Social Firm and a community business, was established in 1988 in order to provide training opportunities and permanent paid employment for people with learning disabilities.
That ethos has been maintained as the Pack-IT Group has grown from its early beginnings to a three pronged business supplying mailing, storage & distribution and on-line fulfilment.
In addition to the three main business functions, the Pack-IT Group's long standing, full-time team is engaged in specialized finishing such as subscription fulfilment and cross matching of short-run hand mailings, full web-based real time stock control facilities as well as customer services capabilities.
Cardiff Social Firm Scoops European Award
Once a project with an insecure future Cardiff’s Pack-It Promotions, now a £1.4m packaging and distribution business providing jobs and training for people with disabilities, recently scooped the prestigious title of The European Social Firm of 2005 against stiff competition from across Europe.
The Award, the first of its kind and sponsored by CEFEC, the Confederation of European Social Firms, Employment Initiatives and Social Co-operatives, celebrates and recognizes excellence within the European Social Firms sector whilst encouraging entrepreneurship.
Pack-It’s Managing Director John Bennett said that he and his staff were stunned to be in the finals together with other short-listed Social Firms from the UK, Austria, Slovenia, and Belgium. They were even more surprised when named overall winners at the recent CEFEC Annual Conference dinner held in Novo Mesto, Slovenia where Pack-IT received a trophy, designed and made by people with disabilities – a unique item, specifically commissioned for this award.
“We were truly amazed, considering the opposition,” said John. “This is an enormous boost for my work colleagues, and will greatly enhance both the company’s reputation as a Social Firm practitioner and as a business of excellence in its field.”
Pack-IT, based at the Cardiff Bay Business Centre, as well as pursuing its business objectives of warehousing, storage and distribution, provides training and permanent paid employment for people with learning and physical disabilities. In addition, the company offers mailing and internet pack and despatch services to blue chip companies as well organisations such as The Western Mail, & Echo, the National Assembly for Wales, the WDA and other government agencies. The Pack-IT Group is fast developing a distribution service for leading online catalogue companies.
Commenting on the importance of the Award from CEFEC’s point of view, Sally Reynolds of Social Firms UK and on the Executive Committee of CEFEC, said: “The award recognises the mix of entrepreneurship, innovation and passion for social change that makes a great Social Firm and social business.
Within CEFEC we know that Pack-IT’s success as a Social Firm will serve to inspire others around Europe who are striving to build better Social Firm businesses. As the national support agency for Social Firm development in the UK, we are delighted and proud that one of our members is able to bring recognition to the UK in this way”
NOTE:
Social Firms seek to create good quality jobs for disabled people within supportive and successful businesses.
Further information on Pack-IT can be obtained from www.pack-it.com
Further information on Social Firms in the UK and the work of Social Firms UK can be obtained from www.socialfirms.co.uk or email cneville@socialfirms.co.uk
