Nick Baldwin – Bluestones One

Sam Gidman wins Employee of the month for March

Nick Baldwin — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 12:28:43 +0000

We’re delighted to announce Sam Gidman as Bluestones One’s Employee of the Month for March!

Sam has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication to supporting our field teams. Always available and quick to respond, Sam has become the go-to person for resolving problems that our field staff encounter. This reliable support system has not gone unnoticed; in fact, Sam received an unprecedented number of votes from our field team this month, making this recognition especially meaningful.

While we don’t typically highlight our office team in these announcements, the overwhelming feedback from those working in the field made it clear that Sam’s contributions deserved special recognition. Sam’s commitment to ensuring smooth operations and providing timely assistance has made a significant positive impact on the entire team’s productivity and morale.

Congratulations, Sam, and thank you for your outstanding dedication and support!

Special mentions also go out to Pol Martin and Tonianne Adamson for their excellent contributions throughout March.

Case study: Bluestones One’s successful store closure for B&Q

Nick Baldwin — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 09:25:45 +0000

Introduction

Bluestones One successfully tendered for B&Q’s Store Closure Programme and was subsequently awarded 6 stores to close over a 12-month period.

The scope of work was to completely empty the store of everything from the floor to the lights. Works included full racking removal, electric, gas and water isolation, checkout extraction, and removing the furniture and fittings from the offices and warehouse.

It started in Sutton…

The B&Q store in Sutton was a two-floor, 180,000 square-foot unit, and was our first opportunity to showcase our capabilities. We successfully delivered the project on time and within budget, completely emptying the store in just five weeks.

Logistics

One of our highly skilled Site Managers controlled the site operations for the duration of the project. During this period the Bluestones One team worked tirelessly to ensure the store was ready to hand over to the landlord on time and to an excellent standard.

Working five days a week, our team completed the strip out within five weeks. With a team of 14 Installers, one Forklift Driver, and one Site Manager, it took just 3,980 hours to complete the entire project.

We coordinated the collection of 1019 pallets of equipment, which went back to B&Q’s distribution centre on 64 HGVs, and we successfully recycled 4,520kg of mixed waste using our recycling partner.

Overcoming challenges

Having never undertaken a store closure of this scale before, the main challenges arose from the unknown elements, ranging from basic things such as ensuring we had enough pallets to stack the equipment on, to dealing with site security and coordinating with all the various parties involved in the project. This included B&Q and their suppliers, such as Transport, Project Managers, Property Managers, Data, Marketing, Security and many more departments within B&Q. This was considered to have been well managed, and we are already working with all of these suppliers and contacts on the next store.

Positive feedback and future collaboration

There was a great sense of achievement on completion/handover day, looking at what we\’d delivered. Knowing all the hard work had paid off was fantastic. The whole team were so pleased with the result, they didn\’t want to leave, but their job was done to an excellent standard.

Get in touch

Bluestones One now looks forward to starting their next store closure and will take some significant learning and experience from B&Q Sutton.

For more information about the comprehensive services offered by Bluestones One, please reach out to us at info@bluestonesone.co.uk.

Employee of the Month – March

Nick Baldwin — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 07:27:45 +0000

Each month we reward members of our team who have gone above and beyond their duties and earned Employee of the Month and this winner was chosen due to their dedication and work ethic.

We’re delighted to announce that March’s Employee of the Month has been awarded to Sam Bradshaw!

Sam has been awarded Employee of the Month for working extremely hard and always going above and beyond his duties. His tireless work ethic and attention to detail have not gone unnoticed, and he has been recognised as a role model for others in the workplace.

Sam’s team leader, Sam Gidman, has said:

“Sam sets an excellent example and works extremely hard for the team, always striving to achieve our high standards and objectives. He is consistently getting good feedback and works extremely hard for the team.“

A special mention also goes to Phil Scarborough and Wayne Nealings who have also shown exceptional performance.

Every Employee of the Month wins a £40 voucher – well done, Sam!

B&Q Plumbing Neutron

Nick Baldwin — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 11:01:34 +0000

Summary

Bluestones One is one of B&Q’s key suppliers of Project, Site, Installation and Merchandising teams across their large-scale change activity. One such piece of activity was the recent large-scale category refresh known as ‘Plumbing Neutron’.

To remain the market leader for Plumbing products B&Q must keep evolving their ranges and services in line with their customer’s expectations.

As part of this refresh, we were asked to provide a full end to end project management service.

Planning

Bluestones One provide the following aspects for every project:

Project management
Complete engagement visit
Create a phasing plan by store
Provide full CDM documentation
Store by store costings
Deliver in line with agreed schedule
Establish and supply all resource needs for Site Management, SIERS trained Installation teams and Merchandising teams

Challenges

Bluestones One Team were the principle contractor and provided site management cover for every store.

Working through the night over 5 nights per store, the challenge was to complete the store phasing and racking rebuilds to plan. Merchandise all the stock to planogram, build new displays, implement POS and rebranded any plumbing customer service desks.

Planning and execution were imperative to ensure that all work was completed to a high standard and that the store was ready to trade the next day.

Results

Bluestones One received fantastic feedback from the customer for the delivery and results of such a large scale programme.

Bluestones One team successfully completed a total of 63 B&Q stores over a 10-week period.

Using the experience and commitment of our onsite teams and project managers we were able to overcome any issues and provide the perfect solution bringing a whole new look into stores.

Employee of the Month for February

Nick Baldwin — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 14:53:00 +0000

Each month we reward members of our team who have gone above and beyond their duties and earned Employee of the Month and this winner was chosen due to their fantastic teamwork and work ethic.

We’re delighted to announce that February’s Employee of the Month has been awarded to Aleck Errington!

Aleck has been awarded Employee of the Month for demonstrating exceptional skills in collaborating with both individuals and teams. He possesses excellent communication skills, both as a leader and an attentive listener. Furthermore, he believes in sharing responsibilities and giving credit where it’s due when the team achieves success.

Aleck is very knowledgable of our organisation’s high standards and objectives and tirelessly works towards accomplishing them. He exhibits outstanding abilities in organising and leading teams, regardless of their size.

Aleck’s team leader, Mark Goulding, has said:

“Aleck has been exceptional on the B&Q plumbing rollout; Aleck has completed what were our most challenging stores so far. Every store has been completed to a very high standard without any issues. The feedback from B&Q has been very complimentary for Aleck and his team.”

A special mention also goes to Adam Russel, Simon Blakey, and Wayne Nealings who have also shown exceptional performance.

Every Employee of the Month wins a £40 voucher – well done, Aleck!

Employee of the Month for January

Nick Baldwin — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:47:15 +0000

Each month we reward members of our team who have gone above and beyond their duties and earned Employee of the Month and this winner was chosen due to their fantastic teamwork and work ethic.

We’re delighted to announce that January’s Employee of the Month has been awarded to Sean Burrows!

Sean is a fantastic member of the team who works extremely hard, and has shown exceptional performance.

Sean’s team leader, George Mazzoncini, has said:

“Sean Burrows does the work of two people. Very good attitude and never complains about anything, there are no negatives to say about Sean as he goes above and beyond every day.“

A special mention also goes to Roy Clifford, Ronnie Nichols, and Alec Errington who have also shown exceptional performance.

Every Employee of the Month wins a £40 voucher – well done, Sean!

Annual Field Awards 2022

Nick Baldwin — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 11:18:17 +0000

Every year we aim to recognise and reward the individuals in our teams who have gone above and beyond while embodying our company values.

Without further ado, here are the 2022 winners!

New Employee of the Year Award

For surpassing expectations of a new starter, always turns up for work and receives good feedback.
Winner – Adil Hussain

Directors Award

Identified as an integral person within our business who has worked to a consistently high standard throughout the year.
Winner – George Mazzoncini

Effective Communication Award

Communicates effectively with Bluestones Management, Resource and Field Teams as well as with the customer
Winner – Nigel Bew

Commitment Award

Consistently shows a high level of commitment and the level of commitment regardless of the situation has never faulted.
Winner – Mark Goulding

Above and Beyond Award

Dedicated to getting the job done and always goes the extra mile to achieve great results.
Winner – Tonianne Adamson

Leadership Award

Leads by example and represents the Bluestones One brand in a positive way through demeanour, values and ethics.
Winner – Jason Crawley

Timekeeping and Attendance Award

Always punctual for work and carry out their daily duties on time.
Winner – Dave Brady

Pair of Aces Award

Two Individuals who have worked together to a consistently high level across multiple accounts within the business.
Winner – George Mazzoncini and Carly Trainor

Employee of the Year Award

Outstanding in all areas of the business. Someone who is dependable, reliable, and responsible at all times.
Winner – Kryn Wolszcak

Star Performers Award

Someone who stands out from the crowd and are recognised for displaying individual excellence.
Winners – Paul Merryweather, Steve O\’Conner, and Aleck Errington

The winners all received One4all gift vouchers.

We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their commitment, professionalism and resilience over the past year.

Well done and thank you for a fantastic year in 2022. We can’t wait to see what this year brings!

Employee of the Year 2022

Nick Baldwin — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 08:48:25 +0000

We are proud to recognise one of our team members who has consistently demonstrated an exemplary work ethic and commitment to collaboration. Through their dedication and initiative, they have earned the title of Employee of the Year. We commend this individual for setting a positive example within their workplace and upholding our high standards of performance.

We are proud to announce Kryn Wolszcak as the 2022 Employee of the Year! Kryn is a Team Leader who has demonstrated excellent performance and leadership qualities, while fostering a positive culture of teamwork within their team.

Kryn’s hard work and passion have enabled them to exceed expectations and make a lasting impact on their team’s success. This award recognises his dedication to Bluestones One and congratulates him for his fantastic accomplishments over the year.

Many members of the team have commented on the fantastic work Kryn showed throughout 2022. Operations Director, Gary Lowe, has said:

“Kryn is outstanding in all areas of the business. He is someone who is dependable, reliable and responsible at all times, whether it is engaging with the customer, office team or fellow colleagues. He conducts himself well and represents himself and Bluestones One in a positive way.”

Account Manager, Andy Smethurst, said:

“Kryn, just gets on with whatever project he is on, he never moans or has any problems in his store, he gives new and external team members attention and commitment to carry out the role. I could leave Kryn on a project and not have to worry about it, he will effectively engage with the client and deliver every day without any fuss. He is Mr Reliable!”

Account Manager, Angela Burrows, further commented:

“Kryn is everyone’s go-to person to get the job done on any account!”

We strive to recognise and reward excellence, and Kryn is a shining example of this. We are excited to see what amazing things they will accomplish in the future!

Kryn’s award was given to him at our end-of-year 2022 celebratory event, our Annual Field Awards where he was awarded with vouchers.

Well done, Kryn!

What is a Retail Merchandiser?

Nick Baldwin — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 08:27:58 +0000

A Retail Merchandiser is a professional who is responsible for executing the presentation of merchandise and products in retail stores, using a planogram. Retail merchandisers usually work under the guidance of the retailer they’re working with, and their duties include de-merchandising and re-merchandising stock and installation of shelves and equipment required to house the stock.

Retail merchandising requires excellent organisational skills and a very keen eye for detail in order to present each section to new store standards which enhances the overall customer experience.

Travel opportunities
Retail merchandising is a unique career path that offers many great opportunities and benefits. Working as a retail merchandiser can give you the chance to collaborate with others, and travel around the country. It also provides plenty of room for growth and job satisfaction. Along with these great advantages, there are numerous other benefits to working as a retail merchandiser such as flexible working hours and the ability to explore different areas of the retail industry.

Rewarding opportunities
Merchandising is a rewarding and challenging career choice for those interested in the retail industry. As a retail merchandiser, you will have the opportunity to develop relationships with the team and the wider stakeholders such as our customers and their teams. Working as a retail merchandiser can provide many benefits such as increased job satisfaction, improved communication skills and knowledge of the retail industry which will help build your career.

Variety of work tasks
In today’s retail world, working as a retail merchandiser is an invaluable asset to any company. You will be able to learn new skills, develop new relationships and expand your knowledge of the industry.

A career in merchandising
Working as a retail merchandiser has many benefits that make it a highly attractive career choice. From the flexibility of the job to the abundance of opportunities, those looking for a career in retail should seriously consider becoming a retail merchandiser. Through taking on this job, individuals can develop and hone their skills, gain experience in the industry, build relationships with clients, and enjoy steady employment opportunities.

Overall, working as a retail merchandiser is an excellent way to advance one’s career in the dynamic field of retail. It provides an opportunity for individuals to learn new skills while also leveraging existing ones; these skills can be applied in other aspects of life or future positions within the industry. Furthermore, it offers promising earning potential with numerous chances for promotion and growth down the line.

If you’d like to find out more about our Merchandiser opportunities, take a look HERE.

Employee of the Month for November

Nick Baldwin — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 13:28:54 +0000

Each month we reward members of our team who have gone above and beyond their duties and earned Employee of the Month and this winner was chosen due to their fantastic teamwork and work ethic.

We’re delighted to announce that November’s Employee of the Month has been awarded to Patrick Connor!

Patrick is a great Team Leader who works extremely hard, and has shown exceptional performance, especially with B&Q.

Operations Director, Gary Lowe, has said:

“Patrick has integrated well into the business and can work across multiple customers as a Team Leader. Patrick has received excellent feedback from two different clients this month, in particular B&Q on his first job leading.”

A special mention also goes to Rob Owen, Paul Bland, and Wayne Byrne who have also shown exceptional performance.

Every Employee of the Month wins a £40 voucher – well done, Patrick!