Small but mighty

Eleven years on and they are running their own business, Newton Europe, and one that graduates have voted among the best in the country in a survey from TheJobCrowd.com website.

Thousands of graduate employees in companies ranging from SMEs to multinationals took part in the survey, designed to find out how satisfied they were with their first three years of employment. Companies surveyed included National Grid, The Co-op Group, Sky, Channel 4 and Waitrose.

And that recognition came this year on top of another from The Sunday Times Best Small Companies to Work For awards last year, which gave the firm a coveted three-star Best Companies Index (BCI) score – awarded to only 12 new entrants.

That award citation highlighted personal growth (94 per cent, the highest score of any company for this question) as a key value for staff at the firm.

Newton Europe, based in Southmoor, now employs 110 people across the UK – with 20 more in Canada – and is now looking to recruit 37 more, mostly graduates.

Despite the recession, or perhaps because of it, the consultancy has managed to grow 40 per cent a year during the last two years during which, paradoxically, many client organisations have felt the financial pinch and called for help from consultants.

Director Tom Wedgwood, 41, said: “Companies using us feel they need make no outlay and have nothing to lose. That is because we only charge customers on results, that is to say when we can prove that we have produced savings for them.

“Now we also have a lot of experience and a very good track record, always delivering results in sectors like the NHS, local government and private equity.”

Newton can certainly point to an impressive list of client companies including: Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Nissan and British Airways.

The firm describes itself as an operational improvement specialist. Most of its employees have engineering backgrounds because the original three founders — Mr Wedgwood, Andrew Hawes and Kevin Jones — reckoned engineers were particularly well suited for analysing and understanding manufacturing systems and processes.

For instance, Newton was once able to save £250,000 a year for a major paper manufacturer by simply adjusting the rate of flow of water into a tank. Simple, even obvious after the event, but no-one else had spotted it.

“If only all our problems were like that,” said Mr Wedgwood.

Newton moved to Southmoor, near Abingdon, four years ago after taking on financial director James Frost, who previously worked for Dyson.

Mr Wedgwood explained: “Before that, there were about 100 employees but no office. I personally was living in Litchfield, though I grew up near Wallingford and went to Abingdon School.”

And why did they choose to move to Southmoor?

“Well, because that is where James lived,” said Mr Wedgwood.

And somehow that is typical of the laid-back culture that exists at the company, even though he added: “I am glad we did because Oxfordshire is ideally situated at the centre of the UK.”

Extraordinary team spirit is the secret of success at Newton, which is on track to turn over £25m this year.

Every alternate Thursday the company’s employees meet up at some agreeable hotel for a meal and a drink or two.

Then on the Friday they divide into groups of 10 to discuss ongoing projects. This way, the theory goes, you get input from several expert heads. Mr Wedgwood said: “Last week we all met up in Bristol. We find it is not difficult to take decisions when you know all the facts. It is like whether to turn left for £1 or right for £100. Not difficult if you know which is which.”

At Christmas the company has a party to which everyone, including partners, come and in summer there is another party.

Mr Wedgwood said: “Last year we hired a private beach for a barbecue. And there are also skiing and surfing expeditions.”

The firm takes on a lot of talented graduates straight out of university who then find they can progress upwards in their career very fast.

All also participate in a profit-sharing scheme.

Rosanne Furniss, a graduate employed by Newton, said: “The culture makes Newton a fun and exciting place to be, with everyone from directors to the most recent starters being fully involved in driving the company’s continued growth and success.”

She added: “The opportunities that exist for personal development are second to none.

“Working for Newton has given me the chance to meet and work with people who continue to surprise and inspire me, work that always interests and challenges me, and opportunities and training that I know will stand me in good stead for my future.”

Surely with testimonials from employees like that, Mr Wedgwood is justified in remembering with pleasure how the company started.

“We just thought we could do it better, left our jobs and started our own business.”