Member Article

Two decades of performance through technology

Waterstons, which began life with founder Sally Waterston working from the basement of her home, this month celebrates its 20th anniversary.

20 years on from its modest beginnings, Waterstons now has three offices in Durham and London, 85 members of staff, a broad client base including names such as Vopak and Newcastle International Airport and no plans to slow down any time soon.

Sally said: “Waterstons remains on the cutting edge of technology skills. We only employ the best, and through our culture of empowerment, trusted partnerships and our creative, proactive and dependable approach, we can be confident that we are able to provide our clients with the exceptional customer service and expertise they deserve and expect from us.

“Our strong People First ethos, which relates both to our clients and to our staff, is as relevant in 2014 in a world of BYOD and cloud computing as it was when Waterstons was launched in 1994.”

Based on two decades of industry expertise, the company’s IT and business consultancy skills achieve powerful performance improvements tailored to the unique needs of their customers.

Cofounded in 1994 by current Directors Sally Waterston, Mike Waterston and Ajaib Singh, the team’s reputation meant that the referrals from satisfied clients kept coming and the potential for a wider audience for their services was quickly recognised.

Waterstons soon outgrew its office above a garage in 1995 and acquired the first premises to be built on Belmont Business Park in Durham in 2001.

Today, Waterstons is a limited company with a turnover of around £6 million. Exceptional customer service has remained key with most of Waterstons’ 114 customers having partnered with them for over five years. Waterstons are technology agnostic but their skills and experience sees them accredited to leading vendors including a Gold partnership with Microsoft.

Awarded Investors in People Gold in 2010, Waterstons empowers its people, both employees and customers. From its inception, Waterstons has been built on strong values which, for Sally Waterston, is the best part of owning a business, meaning she has not had to compromise on her own strong beliefs.

Staff at Waterstons are not measured on the time they spend at work but on the outcomes they achieve for their customers; holidays are not counted with a remit only around a minimum of 25 holidays for each staff member annually.

Mike Waterston, managing director, added: “Waterstons is proud to mark this momentous 20 year milestone, due in large part to the support we have received from our customers and the amazing dedication of every single member of the Waterstons team.

“As a company we strive to exceed our client’s expectations and help them achieve improvements in the performance of their businesses. With our help, technology can realise tangible results in areas ranging from the timely delivery of management information to improvements in quality and productivity for business in a diverse range of sectors and industries.

“We look forward to another 20 years and the tremendous opportunities that are around the corner for Waterstons and our clients.”

To celebrate its 20th anniversary Waterstons is hosting a number of events, including its regular free to attend seminars focusing on how to achieve performance through technology, in London and Durham. More details about the seminars planned are available at www.waterstons.com/events

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Waterstons Ltd .