Oldham based Ripple Group gains elite Investors In People Gold accreditation

RETAIL and interior display solutions specialist Ripple Group has attained the coveted Investors in People (IIP) Gold accreditation, describing it as a proud achievement following a number of impressive milestones through the business’s 37-year history. 

The Oldham-based group specialises in designing and manufacturing bespoke retail and interior display solutions for high-profile brands and retailers across the UK.

Customers include Trespass, Topps Tiles, Akzo Nobel, which runs Dulux and Dulux Decorator Centres; Majestic Wine, B&Q Tesco and Boots, builders’ merchants, showrooms and visitor attractions.

In addition, Ripple’s manufacturing division, RED Manufacturing, provides a business-to-business service offering joinery, steel fabrication and paint finishing services for a variety of end products including commercial furniture and architectural and engineered components. 

Ripple Group’s in-house team includes creative designers, technical designers, CNC machining and laser programmers and operators, bench hand joiners, cabinet makers, steel welders and fabricators, powder-coating and spray-painting technicians, and a logistics team.

Ripple first gained IIP accreditation in 2000 and then progressed to Silver status in 2016. It has also gained other accolades including the Best Companies Awards and the Sunday Times Top 100 Employers list.

Managing director David Wolfenden said: “Achieving IIP Gold is a great leap forward. It really sets us apart and is a true validation of the excellent and unique culture throughout Ripple Group.

"We are now among an elite level of businesses who have achieved Gold status, a standard which is even more rare for SME manufacturers such as us. 

“The group has achieved success through its people who accomplish a world-class service whilst being highly-competitive through efficiency and continued investment.

“I was first attracted to IIP accreditation because it supports the ethos of a people-focused business. My belief then was that our future success would be achieved through our people and IIP has helped us to fulfil that.

“Our culture places our primary focus on our team. Each person is treated with equal respect, we promote health and well-being, and help everyone realise their potential through training, development, mentoring and coaching.

“After 37 years, we have learnt that putting people at the centre creates an environment they are passionate about, where work becomes an enriching part of each individual’s life, making everyone a winner. There is no textbook methodology. Just a quest to continually improve.

“In the past three years we have enhanced production efficiency by 38 per cent, increased profitability and investment, and created a reward-and-recognition scheme which has had a significant impact on our team and their families."

William Brown, a senior assessor at Investors In People, added: “In my 20 years’ experience working with over 200 organisations, Ripple has been one of the most-committed to continuous improvement and employee-wellbeing. Ripple’s ongoing improvement is all based on the drive to meet and, where possible, exceed customer requirements.’’

Investors in People was first launched in the 1990s as a government programme to promote better people-management at work.

"Today, it is an independent organisation and the accreditation process has evolved to a much higher standard, called Version 6.

 

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