Would you believe we’re already halfway through the year? We certainly can’t! From supporting a local food bank to becoming a sponsor of the Kirk Deighton Ranger football team, we’ve had a jam-packed and rewarding few months here at Craven.
Exciting new additions and promotions within the Craven team
We kicked off the new year with Billy Marston joining the team as a Customer Account Manager. Billy works closely with our customers to learn more about their needs and how best we can support them. It’s great to have Billy onboard, and we can’t wait to see how he progresses even further in this role!
A number of staff members have also been promoted in the past six months. Denisa Roderingerova became the first female leader in our production team after being promoted to Wirework Co-ordinator, and Bartek Lesniak was promoted to Production Supervisor, where he’s using his five years of Craven experience to monitor all areas of our manufacturing processes.
After showing our support for National Apprenticeship Week in February, we’ve recently welcomed Connor to the Craven family as our newest Apprentice. Apprenticeships can help people grow their skills in the workplace, and they encourage young people to think about their career path and learn more about the industry firsthand. As our newest apprentice, Connor will take on a variety of roles across the company, from our Customer Service Department to Warehouse team. We can’t wait to see him succeed!
Our new EVOLVE product range hit the shelves
In April, we launched our EVOLVE range to continue adapting to market demands. Offering eight self-assembly items, the products provide excellent robust storage solutions to the catering, food processing and public sector industries. You can explore the new collection here.
Supporting our local community
At Craven, we do our best to support local businesses and causes. Recently, we donated shelving to a local food bank Resurrected Bites, who are working to reduce food waste and food poverty by partnering with local businesses to divert good quality food from landfill.
Our Director Wez and Managing Director Noel recently visited the food bank to install the shelving. This should provide the team with plenty of storage for any donations they receive and make it even easier to stay organised!
We’re also excited to share the brilliant news that Craven has become the First Team sponsor for the Kirk Deighton Rangers football team. We look forward to beginning our partnership with them and can’t wait to see the players kick off the season!
We can’t wait to see what the second half of the year brings for Craven! To find out more about how we can help you meet your business’ needs, get in touch with the team today on 01423 796 200 or email us at info@craven-solutions.com.
Choosing the right finish or coating for your shelving solution is crucial to ensure its practicality and durability in your business’ environment… But it can be difficult to figure out what will work best for your company’s needs and setting.
Choosing the wrong finish can result in having to purchase storage solutions sooner than usual due to faster wear and tear. Not only is it more costly, but it can also cause the products to deteriorate much faster than they should. The good thing is, this can be easily avoided by choosing the right coating or shelving from the start.
Here at Craven, we are able to offer a variety of different shelving finishes to ensure that the products are fit for purpose and to provide you with robust, durable and long-lasting storage solutions. We understand how important it is to get your shelving solutions just right, which is why we are here to help you choose the best option for your business.
Take a look at our guide below to see what we offer and to help you choose the perfect finish for your shelving needs!
Nylon Coating
This silver grey powder coating is applied to wire shelves with a mild steel base material. Its thermoplastic material hardens when cooling and, best of all, it is durable and not easily damaged or scratched by daily use. Our Nylon Coating is specifically designed to tolerate a wide range of temperatures from anywhere between -40C to +110C. It is also a food contact certified coating, which is ideal for use in cold/freezer rooms and for wet food storage.
Bright Chrome and Zinc Chromate Plated
These coatings are meant for products with a mild steel base material. The Bright Chrome finish is hard-wearing and durable while also being visually appealing! The Zinc Chromate Finish is zinc-plated and spray-coated over a primer base before being baked to ensure durability. Both finishes are ideal for dry storage in busy environments. On the other hand, these finishes are not suitable for cold rooms, fridges or freezers where they would rust over a short period of time as they are not designed for corrosive environments.
Stainless Steel
These electropolished wire and solid shelves are made completely out of 304-grade Stainless Steel so no coating is used or required! With their high nickel and chromium content, the 304-grade of Stainless Steel offers excellent protection against corrosion. Stainless Steel is particularly recommended for laboratories as well as pharmaceuticals and medical environments.
Epoxy Coating
This coating is made of a white-powder-coated epoxy that is applied to solid shelves with a mild steel base material. After being spray-coated over a primer base and baked, the epoxy powder produces an exceptionally hard finish. This makes your shelving solutions resistant to impact and abrasions. An Epoxy Coating is therefore ideal for medical use and high-impact environments but it should not be used in cold rooms.
To learn more about our shelving finishes and coatings, give us a call on 01423 796 200 or send us an email to info@craven-solutions.com and we’ll be more than happy to help!
This month, we took some time to get to know our Business Development Manager, Phill Brown. Check out what he had to say, below!
What is your role at Craven?
My role at Craven is to find new business in existing or new sectors, look after all new business enquiries and speak with customers who have not used Craven for a while to help them understand how we can work together and what we can manufacture.
What does a typical day at Craven look like for you?
A typical day can be very varied. I can be working with new customers to develop any new products they need for their clients. I could also be working on fitting out rooms, whether dry storage or cold rooms with our British-made shelving options. Alternatively, I could be prospecting to bring in new customers to Craven and helping them understand how we can work together.
What are your main responsibilities at Craven?
My main responsibilities are to bring in new clients, help my current customers get everything they need when they need it and maintain good communication levels.
What did you do before joining the team at Craven? (A little bit about your background)
Before working with Craven I had been in sales for 20 years across numerous industries. I started by door knocking and working in the energy markets (Gas and Electric), I then moved into other sectors such as office fit-out, outsourced telesales and IT information. I then spent 8 years working for a marketing agency, and immediately prior to Craven, I sold into the care sector.
What motivates you at work? (Are there specific values that drive you?)
I get great satisfaction from seeing projects (especially new product development) from initial enquiry to it going out of the door. I enjoy working with our various other departments, whether it be in Technical, Customer Service, Production, Shop Floor or Office, to fulfil customer requirements.
What do you enjoy most about business development and your role at Craven?
I enjoy many things about my BDM role: the variety of customers I can speak with on a daily basis, working with the team on bespoke opportunities and the freedom Craven allows me to do my job.
Many thanks to Phill for taking the time to tell us more about his role at Craven. It’s great to have you on board! 🎊
With the development of the pharmaceutical industry over the past year due to the pandemic, it has become extremely important for medical professionals to maintain heightened levels of hygiene when moving in and around hospitals. We always make sure our medical storage and handling solutions are both easy to clean and manoeuvre. We use high-quality stainless steel, which is durable and ideal for sterile surfaces.
What kind of products does Craven offer the medical industry?
From swab racks to instrument trolleys, we’ve got the industry covered! Our glove box holders, sanitiser and apron dispensers are ideal for quick and easy access to hygiene products. We also offer medical records and ward notes trolleys making it easy to record and store patient notes.
Our range of self-administration cabinets are a perfect storage solution to assist patients in the self-administration of medicine. The cabinets are secured with a single-point locking system and can be wall-mounted when necessary.
To find out more about the products we offer the medical industry, please visit our website here.
How can Craven help the medical industry with its product requirements?
Our trolleys are available in different sizes and colours, making them easy to distinguish. With professionals requiring trolleys that can be transported easily, we have added stop brakes to allow them to easily dispense medicine to patients and to keep the trolley stationery while loading/unloading.
With hospitals often looking for specific product requirements, we are able to offer bespoke options with many of our medical-related solutions. Please get in touch with our team today for more information:
📞 01423 796 200
✉️ info@craven-solutions.com
If you need something more specific than usual, we’re happy to help. Here’s how to order bespoke shelving and storage from us!
Sometimes, you need something a little different to perfectly match your company’s needs – and we’re here to help. At Craven, we make all of our bespoke products in Britain, meaning we can take a hands-on approach to designing a product that works for you.
If you’re interested in ordering something bespoke from us soon, here’s how to do it!
Tell us what you need from your bespoke shelving or storage
To get started, simply get in touch with our team by phone or email. We’ll arrange a call with our Business Development Manager or Account Manager to chat more about what you require, such as information about the product type, the quantity, material, application sizing and lead time.
Designing your bespoke product
Once we’ve gotten to grips with your business and the bespoke product you need, we’ll pass on all this information to our expert production team.
From here, our production team will discuss the best manufacturing processes for your bespoke order and provide the sales team with a detailed concept drawing.
You’ll get the chance to review the original concept drawing, and we’ll make any and all tweaks needed based on your feedback to make sure your bespoke product is just right. This process usually takes about a week, and once the design is approved, we can move forward.
Moving on to manufacturing
With the drawing signed off, we can now move on to manufacturing your bespoke shelving or storage. Firstly, the drawing and quantities required are passed on to the estimating team, who will calculate a quotation and estimated lead time for our sales team. This usually only takes a couple of days.
After that, we’re good to go. Once you’ve placed your order, an acknowledgement and delivery date will be provided within 48 hours. Your bespoke items will be manufactured and, provided they pass our rigorous quality control tests, will be delivered to you as promised. We usually take around 4 weeks to manufacture a bespoke product, but this can vary depending on what you’ve ordered.
We hope you love your bespoke order! Once it’s with you, we’ll organise a meeting with our sales team to make sure everything is what you expected and get any feedback you may have for us.
Need something specific for your business? We’d love to hear more about your bespoke shelving and storage needs. Get in touch with us at 01423 796 200 or info@craven-solutions.com to arrange an initial meeting with our team!
We spoke with two Craven & Co. employees about their apprenticeship experience at our company.
Wondering what it takes to kick off a career in manufacturing? Two former apprentices, James Ward and Charles Nelson, chatted to us about how they began their career paths with Craven and Co. through taking on the challenge of an apprenticeship.
Why choose an apprenticeship?
James and Charles knew after leaving school that further education wasn’t the right choice for them. Apprenticeship training offered them the opportunity to get hands-on experience at the beginning of their careers.
We offer different types of apprenticeships, and Charles and James took different routes within our company. For Charles, an apprenticeship with Craven & Co. meant working in our factory while studying for a Level 2 PEO and Welding NVQ, while James worked in our offices alongside studying for a Level 3 Business Administration NVQ.
How does an apprenticeship work?
The type of work an apprentice does will depend on what they’re studying for and what ambitions they have for their career. Apprentices will spend a dedicated amount of time working in relevant internal departments, starting with entry level tasks and progressing to more skilled work as their confidence and knowledge grow.
Charles’ apprenticeship in production meant that he worked in a number of different areas, including welding, wirework, the coating plant and assembly, whereas James tried different tasks across sales, marketing, customer service, accounts and purchasing.
Having a wide range of experience and the opportunity to try out different roles is a huge benefit of taking on an apprenticeship. Both Charles and James spent time in our warehouse over busy periods, ensuring that they know how everything works throughout the business.
How can an apprenticeship shape your career?
Both of our former apprentices have excelled since they first joined our team, having stuck with Craven & Co. since 2016.
After his time as an apprentice welder, Charles has become a full time member of our welding team. He’s gained an in-depth knowledge of our products and processes and is continuing to learn from our senior welders.
James has also stayed with us, and since joining our team, worked in marketing and customer service before becoming an account manager last year. His knowledge across the business has helped him to effectively serve customers and spot new opportunities for our company, making him a valuable asset to our business.
Despite being younger than the rest of our team, Charles and James feel respected at work. Although their studying days may be over, they’re still learning on the job and are helping our company grow even further.
Want to know more about what a career at Craven could look like? Get in touch with us at 01423 796 200 or info@craven-solutions.com to enquire about future career opportunities or learn more about our recruitment process.
Keeping goods such as certain foods and medicines at a low temperature is essential when maintaining freshness and quality, both in the catering and medical sectors. Cold storage racking is the best logistical solution to control temperatures and ensure anything on those shelves is protected the best it can possibly be.
With a higher demand for medical supplies in recent times and even ingredients and food following on from ‘Freedom Day’ this month, cold storage racking could help with organisation and to maintain quality for many foodservice businesses and medical establishments.
To cater for specific needs, cold storage racking is available in different types and sizes, and here at Craven, we also cater for bespoke needs. If you have any specific requirements for cold storage racking, let our team know and we’ll be happy to assist.
How to choose the right cold storage racking
When designing and manufacturing cold storage, it’s important for us to maximise storage capacity and think carefully about how this will be used by staff. This storage also needs to be securely made to protect staff and items stored.
Strength and durability of materials
Making sure racking is made from strong, durable materials will ensure it will never let you down and last for as long as you need it. We recently received some fantastic feedback from a client who bought shelving from us over 10 years ago, which is a great example of just how robust Craven products are!
“I bought some of your shelves in stainless steel about ten years ago. They still look as good as new!”
Secure design
From the design to the manufacturing stage, we ensure our products remain as secure as can be. From the welding stages to fitting any accessories such as castors, shelf clamps and hooks, glide feet and post clamps, care and attention is given to each component to ensure there are no breakages or faults when assembling your racking.
Adequate storage weights/sizes
As well as suiting colder temperatures, cold storage racking must be able to withstand the right amount of weight and cope with heavy loads. Depending on your area of work, you may require larger or smaller sizes for stock, or bespoke sizes – get in touch if we can create racking for your specific needs.
Ideal for a range of temperatures
Our Nylon shelving is ideal for refrigeration, deep freeze and wet foods storage, as well as for the cold storage of medicines, vaccines, etc. Our cold storage racking can tolerate temperatures down to -40°C.
Speak to Craven about cold storage racking
Cold storage racking is essential for catering and medical industries in particular, and here at Craven, we design our racking to maximise space and storage capacity. For more information about how we can help, or if you need a bespoke cold storage solution, we’re the team to help. Get in touch with us today on: 01423 796 200 or email: info@craven-solutions.com.
In today’s medical world, organisation is key to ensure each day is a success. Medical professionals need the right equipment to assist in day-to-day tasks and ensure they can carry out their jobs in an effective way. Here at Craven, we have an extensive knowledge in how to help those in the medical sector, and one particular product in our medical range is perfect to provide a complete solution to dispensing medicines to patients.
Craven’s Drug and Medicine Dispense Trolley
As a new product in our medical range, our Drug and Medicine Dispense Trolley has been designed in such a way that brings those who look after patients a complete solution, not only for storing medicines and drugs, but also for distributing and dispensing them too.
Our trolleys are hygienically designed with practicality in mind. You’ll find this trolley is incredibly easy to clean and sanitise at regular intervals thanks to the materials used, with Epoxy coated in dark grey and laminate faced MDF.
Features of the Drug and Medicine Dispense Trolley:
- 2 x 100mm swivel castors with total stop brakes. This gives the trolley more flexibility and helps with manoeuverability from patient to patient.
- Corner bumpers. These will not only protect your trolley when manoeuvering, but will also protect staff and patients.
- Light-weight. Again, this will help when manoeuvering the trolley around different wards and departments.
- 3 compartment lockable storage cabinet. This ensures all medicines and drug supplies are kept safe and secure when not in use.
- 2 tray shelf capacity. This is great for that extra storage space or to separate different drugs/medicines when needed.
- Lift up side table. This can be used as surface space for writing or filing patient information, or simply for organising the appropriate medication before distributing it to patients.
- Hinged lid with slam lock for added protection and security.
Standard warranty applies.
Contact us to find out more about our Drug and Medicine Dispense Trolley
For further information about this particular trolley or any of our other medical products, please contact us by calling 01423 796 200 or drop us an email and a member of the Craven team will get back to you: info@craven-solutions.com.
Last year, we announced the Craven Refresh, where we planned to take all the necessary steps to further increase our brand awareness and affinity. The Refresh aimed to highlight the evolution of Craven & Co from a heritage brand to a leading manufacturer, as well as take the necessary steps to grow our existing product range and partnerships with other globally reputable brands.
Our plans continue to evolve, but we’re so happy to be able to bring you an update of what’s new and what’s been going on behind the scenes!
Introduced a new product range
You may remember the launch of our new product range aimed at the mortuary industry back in March, including our mortuary racking and bier trolley. Our new range provides versatile, practical and long-lasting solutions for a wide range of requirements, with bespoke options also available. For more information, take a look at our mortuary product page or get in touch if we can help in any way.
Launched additional depth to Firmashelf
Many of our products can be made to exact specifications with our racking available in many different sizes to suit a wide range of operations. We recently launched an additional 450mm depth to our Firmashelf, bringing our total of different sizes to 45! We’re providing more variety in space saving solutions than many other manufacturers.
We’re on the NHS Supply Chain
We are now proud to be an approved supplier on the new NHS Healthcare Furniture Framework that launched in May 2021. We have a wealth of experience in the medical sector including working directly with the NHS.
We are excited to be continuing and developing our work in this sector and we’ll continue to build on a long-standing relationship that was strengthened during the Covid-19 pandemic when we delivered tens of thousands of trolleys, modular shelving and medical equipment, including a specially-designed IV drip stand, to the NHS Nightingale hospitals.
Inclusivity on the shop floor
Having a more inclusive workplace is important to us, and we’re hiring some brilliant new staff members who we believe will be invaluable to our work. We continue our plans to bring a more diverse workforce to Craven & Co and to bring new skilled individuals to make our processes even stronger and more efficient.
Watch this space for more Craven news!
This is only the start of our new plans for Craven and we see more growth and opportunities in the coming months. Watch this space!
If we can be of help to your business with our storage and handling equipment, or you need something more bespoke to suit specific needs, we’re the team to help. For more information and advice, get in touch with us by calling 01423 796 200 or emailing info@craven-solutions.com.
When you purchase new equipment, you expect it to last. However, if you choose an attractive price over high quality and durability, you may find wear and tear to be a common issue, causing you to look for replacements more frequently than you’d like.
Insufficient or broken racking can not only halt workflow and make different processes less effective, but it can also pose health and safety risks for staff and customers, depending on the environment.
To ensure you’re never left with broken or irreparable equipment, we’ve put together some things to look out for that might indicate you need replacement racking/shelving.
Constant fixes
Fixing your racking if anything goes wrong is a good thing, and general maintenance is a healthy practice for your equipment. However, if you’re finding these fixes are becoming more frequent than they should be, it’s time you looked for alternatives.
There could be many reasons for breakages – general wear and tear or overloading your racking with too much weight to name a few – but repair after repair will not fill your employees with confidence, and is not great for health and safety purposes. New racking from a quality manufacturer will last you years, if not a lifetime!
Bending shelves/beams
Your shelving beams will naturally move and bend slightly when items are being stored, but the problems arise when shelving stays deflected when items are removed. This shows that shelves could be damaged beyond repair.
The risks of falling stock and unsteady shelving can become dangerous, so it’s important to purchase racking that can cope with various weight loads. At Craven, we can work to bespoke requirements and dimensions, ensuring you’re getting exactly what you need to cope with different demands.
Rust or corrosion
Rust checks should be a standard practice with your equipment as this can be an indicator of weakening metal. If there is a build up or rust or corrosion, your racking may be unable to withstand certain weights or temperatures. This can quickly become dangerous as the likelihood of collapsing racking increases.
There is no real way to fix the problem of rust and corrosion, so it’s certainly worth making a new purchase. Here at Craven, we supply a range of racking suitable for many different industries, including catering, medical, mortuary, retail and more. Many of our customers have commented on just how long their racking stays in pristine condition thanks to our quality design and manufacturing processes. Get in touch if we can help!
Space issues
If your racking isn’t enough for the items and supplies you need to store, then it may be wise to reconsider your options. Bigger, stronger racking will be able to hold larger loads and there will be a reduced risk of breakages as a result. Having issues with space and load weights may not necessarily mean your racking is faulty, but simply the fact that your current system isn’t working for your needs.
If you need any recommendations for the right racking for your needs, get in touch with the team at Craven who will be happy to assist.
For all your shelving and storage needs, choose Craven
Craven & Co Ltd offers high quality British-made storage and handling solutions at competitive prices. If we can help in any way at all, give us a call on 01423 796 200 or email us at info@craven-solutions.com. We’re always happy to help!
