‘Keeping people safe is a great message to have’: At work with Arco

‘OUR VALUES ARE LIVED ACROSS THE FULL BUSINESS’: Sian Davies. Picture by Neil Holmes Photography

Arco is a Hull success story and remarkably, is still a family-run business 135 years after it began trading. Simon Bristow visited its Customer Engagement Centre to find out what it’s like to work for one of the city’s oldest, and biggest, companies

Think of Arco and you probably think of PPE such as gloves, hi-vis vests or ear defenders.

And if you drive into Hull along the A63 you cannot fail to notice the large physical presence of its National Distribution Centre, just off the eastbound carriageway, which visitors often mistake for the city’s football stadium.

That landmark alone is a testament to the ongoing success of what is, remarkably, still a family-run business 135 years after it first began trading.

And then two years ago, to the delight and relief of city leaders, Arco reaffirmed its commitment to Hull by relocating from Waverley Street in the west of the city to Blackfriargate, in the heart of the rapidly redeveloping Fruit Market area, when really it could have gone anywhere.

This impressive new building, an office and ‘collaborative workspace’ for the 21st century, offers stunning views of the Humber and comes with its own inter-connected car park.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind its serene façade, and what it’s like to work there, a good place to start is the Customer Engagement Centre (CEC), one of the most dynamic areas of the business.

Its 200-strong team handles around 20,000 calls, 60,000 emails, and 5,000 live chats a month – a massive volume of traffic, but perhaps not surprising when you learn Arco has about 300,000 customers.

This expert team came together in 2017 when the company centralised its customer service approach, creating what Sian Davies, the head of the CEC, calls a “one-stop shop for all our customers”.

‘WE SET OUR PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS’: Sian Davies. Picture by Neil Holmes Photography

She said: “Our vision and purpose are to provide an accessible, personalised service experience, delivering prompt and effective support for all our customers as the ‘experts in safety’ in the market.

“We are dealing with all kinds of UK businesses, from really complex businesses in construction, food or the defence sector, with complex safety needs, all the way to retail, traders and one-man bands.

“The team here engage with the customer about the type of products they need or opportunities and make recommendations, placing orders and dealing with everything to ensure their delivery reaches them safely and in a timely manner.”

Sian has worked for Arco for nine years, which she says is largely to do with its ethos and opportunities for career progression. She was formerly a customer service manager and head of customer support.

“The reason why I’ve stayed is a lot to do with the culture,” she said. “We’ve got values around honesty, integrity, and respect, which is lived across the full business.

“The commitment our business has to our people and the opportunities for growth and progression is second to none, and that’s very inspiring as a leader.

“Arco has been very forward-thinking. They’ve got a wonderful family history of 135 years, immersed in the safety space, and working within a really progressive environment.

“At the CEC, we’ve worked really hard to create pathways for progression and feed our business with talent into specialist areas. This attracts new colleagues to the business and encourages them to develop their careers with Arco.”

‘WE’VE GOT A GREAT ETHICAL MESSAGE’: Oli Coupland. Picture by Neil Holmes Photography

Asked what might attract potential new recruits to the CEC, Sian said: “I would probably say if you’re looking for a challenge and working in a busy sales and support environment this is a fabulous opportunity.

“You will work with businesses across all industries but know you are protecting their business and keeping their employees safe.

“It’s a fabulous, supportive environment where you can grow your skills in customer service, sales or other areas, or have the chance of becoming a leader within our organisation – the opportunities are endless in Arco.

“We do everything to support our people and set them up for success.”

The CEC is a great place to start a career at Arco, as evidenced by Oli Coupland, who joined the company as a customer service advisor in 2018, and was promoted to Assistant Product and Procurement Manager two years later.

Recalling his first days at Arco, he said: “It was a great environment; you didn’t have that ‘new person’ feeling because you got involved with everyone else who was also new to the team.”

Moving up seemed a logical progression, he said.

“I just became more competent in my role and I was asking the right questions,” said Oli, who is from Beverley.

PROUD TO WORK AT ARCO: Oli Coupland. Picture by Neil Holmes Photography

“I started managing larger clients with more financial impact with my management team. I was feeling confident I would get a good referral over the two years I’d had in customer support.

“When the job opportunity opened up I was already in contact with the people doing the recruitment. I’m really happy in the role I’ve got now.”

Arco was recommended to him by a friend who was applying for a job at the same time and went on to be a team leader.

Of his time in Sian’s department, he said: “In the CEC you’re free to contact anyone in the business for support. You can just pick up the phone and speak to the distribution centre, the purchasing team, category support. And there’s always your line manager.”

Oli is proud of what Arco does, and said it is constantly striving to reduce the environmental impacts of its workwear.

He said: “We’ve got a great ethical message which is helping people get home safely at the end of the working day.

“And we’ve got a huge focus around sustainability. A lot of products in terms of range-refresh, we are asking suppliers is this a sustainable product, and if not, why?”

Earlier this month, Arco announced it was providing seed funding for a research project with start-up company Stuff4Life and Teesside University to try to develop recyclable workwear.

If successful, this could lead to ‘PPE for life’, or what the company calls a circular economy for the workwear industry.

‘PASSIONATE ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE’: Mark Douglas. Picture by Neil Holmes Photography

Another colleague who found his feet at Arco is Mark Douglas from Hull, who got his ten years’ service award last year.

Mark, a Customer Support Operations Manager, had previously worked in customer service roles for other employers after leaving a university course.

He now has five team leaders reporting to him, each with a team of ten to 12 colleagues.

Mark, who says he is “passionate about customer service”, has seen how quickly his area of the business has developed.

He said: “When I started we didn’t have a live chat team; that’s been in a year now, and it feels more in-keeping with the times – most people recognise that as a form of communication now.”

Mark says Arco compares favourably to the other employers he has had, which include a credit card company and a local authority.

“If I look back over the things I’ve done this is the best place I’ve worked,” he said. “I wouldn’t have stayed for ten years if I felt the grass was greener elsewhere.

“There are more opportunities for career progression here than at other places I’ve worked. It was a reputable place to come and still is.”

To find out more about careers at Arco, follow the link here.