JS Davidson looks forward to its next chapter following impressive growth

It can be argued that the JS Davidson success story is relatively unorthodox. A company which was faced with a mountain to climb following the outbreak Covid-19 pandemic, JS Davidson’s commitment to its long-standing core values enabled the business to successfully navigate through the trials and tribulations of the last few years and come out of the other side stronger than ever. Proof enough of this is that the company is expected to increase its turnover this year to GBP10 million – doubling that of its mid-pandemic figures of GBP5 million which were posted just two years ago.

Indeed, the pandemic very much acted as an opportunity for the company’s Managing Director John Davidson to take stock of his business and look at ways to streamline its operations in the pursuit of greater productivity and efficiency for the benefit of its customers. But it was equally not without its challenges. Having partnered with the UK’s largest airline caterer, the culmination of recurrent lockdowns throughout the globe rendered the need for the company’s temperature control solutions redundant in this sector – with air travel being reduced by 97 per cent at the peak of the pandemic’s world tour.

Indeed, the geo-economic impact of the pandemic decimated this crucial market for JS Davidson. However, when one door closes, another opens. With a higher demand for food as the nation was forced to eat predominantly in the home, food retailers and manufacturers experienced an unprecedented boom.

GBP10.8 billion of grocery sales made in the first few weeks of the pandemic perhaps provides a glimpse into this unprecedented spike, and the subsequent level of demand placed upon the shoulders of the temperature-controlled operators such as JS Davidson during this period. Fast forward to the present day, and food products account for a significant part of the company’s business – with the firm’s ever-growing portfolio boasting some of Europe’s largest food manufacturers and suppliers. Re-evaluating the business and its operations also brought about transformative change to JS Davidson.

With the help of expert financial consultants which he recruited during the pandemic, John was able to streamline his operation by reassessing its pricing model, implementing new and improved company policy, investing into areas which would cultivate further growth, and reviewing areas which were underperforming. As a result of this major re-alignment, he was able to invest a substantial sum – totalling nearly GBP1 million – into key areas of the business in order to gear up for growth and to enhance its offering to customers, both current and new. This comprehensive assessment provided John with a strategic roadmap for future growth, seeing it as a ‘new chapter’ in the company’s proud history.

In line with this, John, along with his team members, took the executive decision to rename the company from Chiltern Cold Storage to JS Davidson to mark a new age for the business. According to John Davidson the move to JS Davidson was not only made to reflect this new chapter, as well as its growing status within its marketplace as a one-stop shop provider of distribution, ambient, chilled and frozen storage and supply chain solution services. The rebrand also represented the family-centric ethos of the company, a philosophy that has been ingrained within the business throughout its 28-year history.

John Davidson commented: “The level of growth JS Davidson has achieved in such a short period is a true testament to the resilience and persistence of the business, especially given the challenges faced. “The pandemic, ever-rising energy costs and increased inflation were roadblocks that came to a head in a relatively short period of time, however committing to our culture, ethos and our comprehensive roadmap allowed us to push through stronger than we were before. Equally remaining adaptable and listening to the needs of customers both existing and new, along with streamlining our operation through investing into key areas and taking stock of where we were as a business also played a significant factor in our success.”

John continued: “The move to JS Davidson comes at both an exciting and fitting time for the company. We ultimately just felt it was the natural next step, especially after the growth achieved in recent years, and would act very much as a springboard to reinforce our leading position in the marketplace. “Indeed, with a background which has predominantly focused on cold storage, the company has since evolved, and our offering today is considerably more far reaching.

Our range of services now portrays our true offering, which is essentially a supply chain solutions provider and a one stop solution for customers both existing and new.

“Under its new name the business model which we have now puts the company in a strong position for the years ahead and we are confident that it will trigger further growth as we look to the future.”