Bidvest Noonan

A market leading provider of facilities services and solutions

transport

60 Seconds with James Storey, Key Account Director – Transport

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We recently sat down with James Storey, Key Account Director – Transport, for our 60 seconds interview series. James shared insight into his role and what he believes drives success in the dynamic transport industry.  

How would you define what you do at Bidvest Noonan? 

As a Key Account Director, my role involves ensuring the success of my teams and maintaining strong relationships with our account managers. Our main objective is to develop strategies for expanding our customer base while ensuring our team consistently provides high-quality, cost-effective services. 

What has been your best day at Bidvest Noonan? 

Securing a big contract with one of the largest bus companies in GB was a defining moment for me. It all happened because our transport team worked incredibly hard together.  

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? 

The best advice I ever received was to always keep learning and making sure that the people you work with are happy! 

Can you tell us about your industry experience? 

I bring 14 years of invaluable experience in the transport and development sector to the table. Throughout my career, I’ve been a leader in the transport bus cleaning market, having a proven track record in Health & Safety. I thrive in building strong relationships with senior business and customers, and I’m proud of my strategic vision, leadership, innovation, and implementation skills. 

Who or what has inspired you the most? 

Throughout my career, I’ve found that having a vision to inspire others has been an integral and motivating force. It’s about more than just achieving personal success; it’s about leading by example and developing a culture of aspiration within my teams. When you have a vision to inspire others, it means setting high standards and encouraging colleagues to reach their full potential. 

If you had a motto, what would it be? 

Nulli Secundus – Second to None. 

Stephen Taylor has been appointed Director of Operations for our Transport sector business

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Bidvest Noonan has appointed Stephen Taylor as Director of Operations for our Transport Solutions business unit. We launched our Transport Solutions Business Unit in December 2021 to cement our leadership position in the sector and establish a strong platform for our continued growth and development.

Today, the business unit counts many of the UK’s rail, coach, tram, and bus service operators among its customers. The business unit which specialises in cleaning and support services for the sector estimates that its cleaning teams have positively impacted more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys since its launch just over one year ago.

Stephen’s appointment is part of Bidvest Noonan’s continued investment in its transport sector business. With more than ten years of industry experience, Stephen is a highly accomplished leader. In addition, he brings a wealth of operations leadership experience from across the transport sector to Bidvest Noonan.

Commenting on Stephen’s appointment, Managing Director of Transport Solutions, Colin Marshall, said, “I’m delighted to welcome Stephen to Bidvest Noonan. Stephen understands the unique challenges our sector presents. He has a track record of delivering excellent service and value to our customers and clean, comfortable environments for their passengers. I look forward to seeing Stephen’s impact on our business.”

Stephen Taylor added, “I’m thrilled to have joined Bidvest Noonan and delighted by the welcome I have received. I have been very impressed by the company’s performance in the transport sector; The business has built a strong reputation and an even stronger team.”

Miles ahead: transforming service delivery in the transport sector

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In this conversation, Stuart Cunningham, Business Development Director for our Transport Sector, shares his perspective on how a people-focused approach has helped us deliver the best service for commuters. He speaks about how Bidvest Noonan’s cleaning and security solutions have supported more than 1.5 billion journeys each year.

Tell us about your journey toward becoming a Business Development Director for our Transport Sector business unit

It is my 15-year anniversary working in soft services in the Transport Sector. Since 2007, I have always worked in sales roles for cleaning solutions within rail, tram, bus, coach, and aviation. I still love what I do, the people I work with and the great positive impact that we can deliver. I even find myself liking the challenges and obstacles that the cleaning industry throws up.

Our Transport Sector business unit delivers services to the UK’s largest bus and rail operators. What makes Bidvest Noonan a great partner for them?

We have our Credo and Vision embedded in our culture and in everything we do. Our people and our customer-focused dedicated approach helps us to deliver the best service on the market.

Our deep expertise in the Transport Sector enables us to present innovative and creative solutions that use the latest cleaning technology and processes. And most importantly, we understand and align with our customers’ requirements and expectations.

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) has never been more important and it is a big topic inside our business. I’m really passionate about it and I was so proud to read and show my daughters the recently published environmental report. I believe we are heading in the right direction with this focus.

In your opinion, what sets Bidvest Noonan apart from competitors?

We are a large customer-focused services group with a rich history and fantastic infrastructure. The transport business unit operating under the Bidvest Noonan brand and infrastructure gives us the opportunity to offer greater support at every level. I love the fact that we have a great history, demonstrable capability and long-standing relationships.

Our transport management team’s experience and knowledge are unique. We have best-in-class teams supporting our frontline colleagues, from Health and Safety, Learning & Development to HR and Mobilisation teams. They understand the unique nature of our services in the Transport Sector.

What are the biggest challenges in delivering services to the Transport Sector?

Competition is fierce and because of the safety-critical and public-facing element of what we do, only a small band of companies can deliver that compliance and proactively operate within the sector. 

Our customers have fixed commitments around quality standards for their passengers. 

Our activities are mostly 24/7, 365 days of the year with a lot of work delivered in fast-paced environments. The balance between delivering sustainable quality and pressures on cost has never been tougher, we need to be constantly evolving and looking for fresh and innovative solutions.

What makes a good business development team?

The GB leadership team has given us tremendous backing. We now have a small, very tight team of passionate and creative solution designers in the Business Development team in the transport business unit. We talk every day and we operate as one, we are in it together. I believe that our Operations teams know that we always look to support them with development opportunities, understand the challenges of service delivery and ensure we reflect that in our solutions.

Today, we have a thought-through strategy, great intelligence on our marketplace and a healthy pipeline with some great opportunities.