Gloucestershire - a great place to do business
LGI celebrates first year at Mitcheldean
Over 100 business guests, family and friends visited the new London General Insurance (LGI) offices on 25th November for an Open Day, held to celebrate the first full year at Mitcheldean. More than 200 people have joined LGI at Mitcheldean since the company made the decision to move to Gloucestershire in Autumn 2007.
The move has resulted in the creation of a new and very competitive business unit for LGI at Mitcheldean, which has been recognised by a number of new business deals with the RAC, Volkswagen and the John Lewis Partnership, who have all become new clients of LGI in the last twelve months.
"This was the recognition we were all looking for," said LGI operations director Ian Kenny, "and we confidently expect to add more business in the coming months. Our clients have seen that Gloucestershire, and especially the Forest of Dean, is a great place to do business."
LGI chose Mitcheldean from over a dozen UK locations. "We were looking for a stable, high quality workforce," continued Ian Kenny, "and this was the factor that clinched it for Mitcheldean. Since then we have been able to make several crucial promotions from our new local staff. The LGI management team is delighted with the results."
LGI has moved more than 2,500 business processes to Mitcheldean, and invested around £5 million in training, new facilities, and IT. Throughout the transfer, which ended earlier than scheduled in April this year, LGI continued to provide a seamless service to 13 million policyholders, including customers of Tesco, Allied Irish Bank, Comet, and Honda.
During the year LGI completed two successful audits: the FSA's Treating Customers Fairly, and renewal of the ISO 9001:2000 service quality accreditation.
One of LGI's highest priorities was the creation of a modern, energy efficient, and environmentally responsible working environment. "The move to Gloucestershire gave us a great opportunity to rethink the office environment," said Alison Pollecutt, LGI's general manager at Mitcheldean.
"We decided to promote good communication and teamwork by placing teams in pods rather than rows, with separate seating areas for feedback and coaching. Eighty-five per cent of our new staff surveyed subsequently rated management visibility and accessibility as good or excellent. Environmentally sound principles are used throughout to maintain energy efficiency, and we have installed staff showers, which enable staff to walk or cycle to work and exercise at lunchtimes."
The transition has proved so successful that London General Insurance has extended its commitment to Gloucestershire for the next 15 years, and has pioneered a new scheme with the Royal Forest of Dean College (RFDC) to run a special unit that will take up to 15 Modern Apprentices each year, starting before the end of the year.
ends
Note: Images and text available by e-mail from ewart@cmpr.co.uk
Media contact Ewart Woolley Tel: + 44 (0) 1594 516079
Caption: (left to right) Martin Scrivens and Lynn Press from LGI, Peter Adams and Gill Mellor, Dene Magna School and Andy Robertson, Forest Education Business Partnership
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