First and foremost, we have prioritised the safety and well-being of our employees above all else. Whilst we have empowered many with the technology to work from home, there are colleagues who must be on site for us to continue to service our customers and for these we have implemented a number of control measures to reduce the risk of exposure to, or contracting the COVID 19 virus.
Some of these controls are:
Strict enforcement of Social Distancing
Introduction of numerous “Sanitation Stations”
Meetings conducted over Teams or Zoom – Not Face to Face
Additional Cleaning, especially in high touch areas
Addition of Perspex screens in customer facing areas and in office areas as we come out of lock down
Provision of additional PPE for those who require it: gloves, face masks and visors.
Out of hours working for doing installs to reduce contact with the general public
Staggered shift times to reduce bottle necks and increase social distancing
Whilst delivering goods we ask the premises to close to public to ensure social distancing
When doing EPOS installations we aim to do this out of hours to reduce interaction
As the situation evolves and guidance changes, we continue to supply the most up to date information to our staff.
All of this together is Built into a robust COVID 19 Risk Assessment.
We remain committed to the health and safety of our employees, partners, and the customers we serve.
COVID-19 Update
Customer Communication – 19-03-2020
Due to the unique situation, we find the UK food industry in at the moment & the unprecedented volumes we are experiencing, as a business we will be taking the following steps from now to ensure where possible, we maintain a level of supply to our customers.
Order lead times from today will move to 48 hours, the remainder of orders from this week we will aim to clear by Monday next week.
Then we will follow the pattern below –
Normal Delivery Day –
Expected Delivery Day
Friday 20th March
Friday 20th/Saturday 21st/Monday 23rd
Monday 23rd
Tuesday 24th
Tuesday 24th
Wednesday 25th
Wednesday 25th
Thursday 26th
Thursday 26th
Friday 27th
Friday 27th
Saturday 28th & Monday 30th
To support this & keep volumes at a manageable level, orders for key lines across all categories will have to be capped.
If the situation changes over the weekend, we will review & communicate as necessary.
Your support & patience at this challenging time, is greatly appreciated. Working together we will all get through this & support our communities.
Craig Brown
Retail Sales Director.
Covid-19 Contingency Measures –
JW Filshill are taking the threat of Covid-19 (Corona Virus) very seriously, we are planning for different scenarios and have proactive contingencies in place depending on the scale of the impact as and when it develops. We will monitor the Government advice & our colleague situation daily.
Our reputation of handling difficult trading scenarios (Beast from the East) is our strength, we have the ability to move fast and react to any situation placing customers, colleagues and community at the heart of what we do. During this time, we would ask all our valued customers to be patient with regards to availability & delivery times, as always, we will be endeavouring to minimise impact.
Hygiene factors are at the centre of our focus, measures being put in place are –
Covid-19 daily meeting.
Continual cleaning of shared facilities/equipment – door handles, kitchen equipment, toilets, shared telephones, shared printers, shared warehouse machinery, meeting rooms, operational equipment, truck cabins, etc.
JW Filshill colleagues visiting your sites, will be minimising physical contact & carrying out increased hand washing practices.
Using alternative sourcing routes to procure more stock in affected categories.
Restrict purchases of products that are in short supply due to Corona Virus to ensure we service all customers where possible.
What you can do to help reduce risk –
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
Put used tissues in the bin straight away.
Wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, e.g. chip & pin pads.
Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
Use your experienced sales team representative, they are on hand as always to support.
Those local to the depot, can utilise our excellent click & collect service to maintain product availability.
Utilise our best in class online ordering platform & app to capture your orders.
Make JW Filshill aware of any exposure to infection & review our website for regular updates.
We will communicate regularly and will be in touch if anything that may impact our service to you changes, we would ask for your support and flexibility as the unknown impact of Covid-19 unravels. We appreciate all our customer’s patience & support, during this challenging time.
Craig Brown – Retail Sales Director.
Corona Virus COVID-19 –
“Filshill is acutely aware of the evolving outbreak of Coronavirus.
We note that reported cases of Coronavirus have risen dramatically in the UK, recent new cases have been reported in Scotland.
We are actively monitoring the situation and are taking advice from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE) who are leading the UK Governments response to the Coronavirus outbreak. The threat has recently moved from low to moderate.
Filshill will continue to consult this guidance closely in order to provide support when it is needed, including technical advice to employees, suppliers and customers.
Should the situation change, we will cascade this information to all involved on an ad-hoc basis.
Rest assured, Filshill will act quickly should the situation change in order that the safety of our employees, suppliers and customers is paramount.”
Unitas Press Release – Unitas Wholesale evolves board leadership structure read more here
Latest Press Release: Wholesaler JW Filshill grows margin and turnover in challenging convenience marketplace – read it here
The 32nd video of our 52 week video campaign Leading The Way went live today on our YouTube site. View it here
Important Notice – Our featured KeyStore & KeyStore More P7 promotion on Carlsberg 4 x 500ml has been advertised at the incorrect price on our leaflets, we apologise for any inconvenience. Download a disclaimer shelftalker and correctly priced shelftalker here
Filshill celebrates International Womens Day 2018
On International Women’s Day, Filshill gives three female employees a platform to talk about their jobs, opportunities for women within the company, aspirations for the future and what they love about working in wholesale.
Open Day at New KeyStore More New Farm Loch – Kilmarmock. Read more here
Ian McDonald handed lifetime membership of Scottish Grocers Federation (SGF), a deserved accolade.
We’ll Support You Evermore – Findochty Primary School
See below as Graham Dawson from our Sales Team was delighted to be able to give a cheque to Dawn Thompson Head Teacher of Findochty primary school as part of our We’ll Support You Ever More pledge. The funds will go towards a greenhouse and planters.
Latest Press Release – Growth and expansion for wholesaler JW Filshill amid ongoing market challenges – read it here
We’ll Support You Evermore – Lanark Primary School benefits from Filshill & KeyStore’s local community funding campaign – read more
Our Sales Director Ian McDonald is set to retire after 41 years service with Filshill – read more
Latest Press Release – Company secrets revealed in year long series of videos – read it here
Macb – Strawberry & Kiwi still flavoured water 1.5l & 330ml Bottles taken off sale by Filshill as a precautionary measure; we will advise shortly when fresh stock back in- read more
Filshill Release New App – Download the New Filshill App now – read more
Catch up with all things Filshill in our Latest News roundup – read it here
Filshill Trade Day 2017 – What a success read more
Mars Product Recall – Filshill customers unaffected – more info
Filshill Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme AWRS – read more here
Filshill MD Simon Hannah recipient of Industry Achievement Award at Scottish Grocery Awards 2017
Filshill roll out New Click & Collect Ordering service with pick up available at Hillington Depot.
Filshill are offering their Trade Customers a new Click & Collect ordering facility read more here
We’ll Support You Evermore –
Filshill & KeyStore are Supporting the local communities around their KeyStore shops – read how we helped Todholm Primary School in Paisley – read more
Filshill announce appointment of New Business Development Manager to ramp up investment in on-trade division.
Filshill is ramping up investment in its on-trade division with the appointment of Stuart Bell as business development manager for the central belt of Scotland. Read our Press Release
National Family Business Day 2016
As part of Family Business United, Filshill will be participating in the annual National Family Business Day on the 21st September 2016. We are very proud to be a British Family Business and to celebrate we are giving away £100 of FREE stock to the customer who sends in the best photo of their family business. Enter via our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/filshill/ or tweet a pic to https://twitter.com/JWFilshill
As a family firm here in the UK we are delighted to be taking part in National Family Business Day 2016.
The UK’s family businesses come in all sizes, from all sectors and from all over the country. Many of these firms have been in existence for hundreds of years, passing from generation to generation, with their longevity the result of good governance, innovative family ownership and a focus on the long term that has resulted in them becoming the bedrock of communities across the UK. Others may be younger in age, but share similar values and are building forward-looking family firms of the future.
Studies in the past decade have shown that around 4 million firms are family controlled and that family businesses in the UK account for around 25% of UK GDP, over 12 million jobs and contribute significantly to the tax revenues too. It is also recognised that the greatest part of Britain’s wealth is held within family businesses and that the family business sector is therefore a force to be reckoned with. Research undertaken by Family Business United (‘FBU’) identified in 2015 that £49 billion of revenue alone was generated by the 20 largest family firms in the UK.
Family firms across the UK today are a far cry from the ‘ma and pa’ image of small lifestyle businesses that are often portrayed in the media – they are big employers, create wealth for their employees (many of whom have had generations of the same family working in the business) and invest significantly in the communities in which they operate.
The contribution made by the family business sector in the UK is significant and deserves to be recognised. National Family Business Day 2016 is a nationwide campaign to put the family business sector on the map, organised by FBU, the award-winning magazine and resource centre for the global family business community that was founded by Paul Andrews. National Family Business Day 2016 seeks to put the family business sector on the map, recognise the diversity of the sector and provide an opportunity to celebrate all things family business.
Family firms have to deal with specific issues associated with their family ownership and it is the relationship dynamics that make them special, and of course, can create unique tensions that are not found in their non-family counterparts. Family businesses that recognise these challenges, develop good governance procedures and focus on the sustainability of the business for the long term, innovating as necessary to keep the business relevant, have the greatest chances of remaining for generations to come.
Successful family firms focus on the business and take a long term view, and with a significant number of family business owners looking to retire in the next decade, succession planning and the development of the next generation of family business leaders remains a key item on the family business agenda. National Family Business Day 2016 is a chance to share best practice, identify the resources available and to provide assistance to family businesses across the UK on the next stage of their journey, as well as championing the cause and recognising the contribution that these
Well done to the RBS team from Private & Commercial Banking cycling 350 across Scotland to raise money for STV Appeal
Filshill were very proud to supply the RBS team with supplies to keep them fed & watered all week. What a great achievement guys for a great cause too. Here’s some photos of their Tour of Scotland – Fantastic work for the Local Community
Filshill MD Simon Hannah & Commercial Director Chris Miller join the board of Brewgooder Craft Beer
Brewgooder, the world’s first craft beer label to donate 100% of its profits to clean water projects, has had the backing of one of Scotland’s most successful wholesale businesses, Glasgow based, JW Filshill. Simon Hannah, JW Filshill managing director and Chris Miller, group commercial director have joined the board, alongside Josh Littlejohn, Alan Mahon and Stephen McCranor, bringing a broad range of experience of the beer, retail and wholesale sectors. Read the full article here
Filshill Staff on fund raising Big Walk with JTI on behalf of The Not Forgotten Association – Loch Lomond 10th June 2016
Over 300 people took part in these walks across the Surrey Hills, the Peak District and Loch Lomond area. We had 17 Filshill Walkers at the Loch Lomond Walk.
It was for a great cause, The Not Forgotten Association, a charity that supports over 10,000 ex-service men and women every year – of all ages, whenever and wherever they served. In fact many beneficiaries have been wounded or injured since 9/11. Here’s a few photographs from the Day!
Read all the latest news about Filshill in our News Round up – here
JW Filshill appoints Chris Miller to new position of group commercial director
JW FILSHILL, owner of the leading KeyStore convenience store brand and one of Scotland’s oldest food and drink wholesalers, has appointed Chris Miller to the new position of group commercial director.
Miller, who remains a director of both JW Filshill International Ltd (The Craft Beer Clan of Scotland), the Glasgow-based company’s international division and the Clan Brewing Company, its fast-growing beer distribution and production business, will be responsible for the day-to-day strategic direction of the overall group as well as focusing on new business opportunities.
Filshill, a fifth-generation independent company, is a Sunday Times Top Track 250 company. It launched its international business in 2014 and Clan Brewing Company last year. “The business has gone through considerable transition and growth in a relatively short period of time so we now need to create a stronger and more sustainable management structure to reflect that,” said Simon Hannah, managing director of Filshill.
“Chris has been working with us for over two years now having been brought on board to build our international business which has since expanded its remit to represent Scottish distillers as well as craft brewers in key export markets around the globe. As group commercial director he brings an exceptional breadth of experience as well as synergies that will benefit the wider domestic Filshill business.”
Miller’s new role will see him head up Filshill’s category trading teams as well as assuming responsibility for the strategy and growth of the group’s on-trade operation. “Chris has known our business for 20 years, he understands our culture and our high levels of ambition – he is a perfect fit for this role,” Hannah added.
“Filshill is a forward-thinking company which is diversifying in exciting ways and I’m delighted to be more heavily involved in the wider Filshill business,” said Miller, whose previous roles include chief executive of Harviestoun Brewery in Clackmannanshire. “This a challenging time for us as we strive to build and develop new markets both at home and overseas in collaboration with other partners including Scotland Food & Drink, Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise.
“What we are doing is realigning our existing trading team to best suit our domestic and international growth strategies, utilising the talented and committed individuals already working within the business in order to achieve our commercial goals.”
Fantastic Trade Show
Thanks to all our hard working Suppliers & Customers for a very successful Trade Show yesterday. From the great organisation by our Buying & Sales team through to the staff at Hampden park everyone made a terrific contribution. Have a look at some of the photos on the day? Here’s to next year’s Trade Show.
Filshill shortlisted for 3 Awards at the prestigious The Grocer Gold Awards 2016.
Simon Hannah, Filshill MD – Entrepreneur of The Year
Filshill – Wholesaler of The Year
Filshill (Craft Beer Clan Scotland) – Exporter Of The Year
Launched in 2003, The Grocer wanted to break the mould by creating a different kind of scheme; one that would make a truly positive statement about the great work being done by the companies in this fast-moving industry. With that in mind the awards are focused on key business areas such as innovation and customer satisfaction.
Filshill reward Staff Loyalty with Length Of Service Certificate Presentations – read more
Filshill receives MSP visit to Hillington Depot.
Jackson Carlaw drops into Filshill to meet Staff & get acquainted with our business.
Jackson Carlaw MSP for West Of Scotland Region joined us for an afternoon this week at our Hillington Depot. It was a great opportunity to raise industry issues and showcase our Business and Staff. We stressed the importance to Jackson of the importance of Modern Food & Drink Wholesale to Scotland and Industry concerns and opportunities.
SWA Achievers Awards 2016 Photos
Filshill Sweep the Board at the SWA Achievers Awards 2016
The awards initiative created and organised by the Scottish Wholesale Association to recognise professionalism and excellence across all sectors of the industry.
Filshill supplies 168 KeyStores across Scotland and the north of England. It fended off stiff competition from wholesalers all over the country to win the Champion of Champions award. Filshill also lifted the Best Symbol Group for KeyStore, Best Delivered Operation (Retail) and Best Marketing Initiative for its Craft Beer Clan division. Fiona Ritchie, the company’s Impulse Buyer, won the Employee of the Year category.
Describing Filshill as “a true Scottish independent wholesaler”, the judges said: “It does not have the support of a symbol group central office but it demonstrates excellent retailer selection criteria, retailer support and execution. Stores are supported with business development managers, merchandisers, planograms and a range of training packages. Its communication and pricing were described by some of its customers as first-class.
Kate Salmon, Executive Director of the Scottish Wholesale Association, commented: “This is an outstanding result for Filshill, one of our sector’s leading independent, family-owned business – and a wholesaler that is bold and confident about the future, a wholesaler that is prepared to take risks, embrace new technologies and push boundaries in its quest to diversify and innovate.”
Thanks to the Scottish Local Retailer for copy
Boë Gin joins the Craft Beer Clan
We are excited to announce that Boë Superior Gin have partnered with the Clan to showcase their Craft Gin. Read more about their Award winning Gin here
Filshill raises £500 for local Paisley based Charity
Filshill raised a grand total of £500 for Flexicare – a local charity for adults with Autism and learning difficulties in our Christmas Jumper at Work Day Friday 18th Dec 2015. Massive thanks to all the Staff who participated.
JW Filshill secures Chinese drink deal
We sent the first shipment of Disney branded real fruit purée pouches to China last week, after brokering a deal with a Shanghai importer which has sold the product into Walmart.
The American retail giant operates over 400 stores in China and plans to open 115 new outlets between now and 2017.
Chris Miller, head of export and commercial operations at JW Filshill International, said: “Our importer, who carries the Disney brand licence for China , specialises in the health food category for the baby-to-teenage segment and currently imports dozens of Disney-brand products.
“We are also hopeful our importer will secure a listing with Shanghai Disney Resort, the first Disney resort in mainland China , due to open in late 2016.”
The new Disney range has been 12 months in the planning with Filshill overseeing the sourcing, production, packaging and shipment of this initial order of 50,000 units (pouches).
Chris continued: “During our recent visits to Beijing and Shanghai we were introduced to an importer who specialises in products for babies and children and the project snowballed from there,” he explained. “There’s been a lot of hard work behind the scenes to make it happen but once we got the green light to proceed it came to fruition in around six months.
According to Miller, the Filshill model of taking control of the sourcing, production, packaging and shipment presents many Scottish food and drink suppliers with a route to market that didn’t previously exist. “Ocean freight and shipping goods to China can take several weeks – we’re going to the Port of Shanghai via Felixstowe – and this particular order won’t dock until mid-January,” he said.
“The export documentation required to support clearance in the market is a very complicated process so it’s understandable this is an element of doing business in China that will put off smaller producers – many British SMEs struggle to do business in China because of the bureaucracy.
Chris credited Scottish Development International, Scottish Enterprise and Scotland Food & Drink with being ‘key collaborative partners’ in JW Filshill’s international activity and said he saw these relationships becoming increasing important in the future. “Being able to tap into SDI’s people on the ground in markets such as Dubai and Shanghai has been invaluable and we couldn’t do it without them.”
A selection of photos from our recent Anniversary celebrations.
JW Filshill 140 years old. A historical overview of the traditional values associated with the Award winning Wholesaler from it’s beginnings to its re-defining market initiatives.
Watch the accompanying video to our 140th Anniversary celebrations below.
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