Wiltshire’s 'best family business' has explained how they succeed in both working and living together.
The Swindon-based business, Key Performance Training, won three awards this year including the Best Family Business in the Regional Business Awards 2024.
The company, headed by married couple David and Rachel Gearon, aims to offer people a pathway to employment through workplace training courses.
David, training manager, said: “Everyone says I can’t believe you actually do it [work alongside your wife] but I love it.
“We have been together since 1996 and we have always worked well together - there is nothing we cannot achieve.
“At five o’clock we stop talking work and focus on the family but during the day it is continuous work. We want to make this work.”
The couple’s daughter has also temporarily joined the fold to help with marketing, while Rachel is general manager. Meanwhile, David says other employees have come to be like family.
He continued: “Me and Rachel respect each other in our own qualities so there's no conflict at all. If I've got something I'm not sure I'll ask her and vice versa.”
Key Performance Training offers training with forklift trucks, first aid, fire safety, manual handling and health and safety with an eye on helping people get back into work.
As well as getting clients from private companies Key Performance works with employment agencies and education providers, “helping people turn their lives around with the first step towards a rewarding career”.
David said: “The staff we have are people who want to help people. Anyone that walks through that door doesn't matter who they are, they get treated the same.”
David remembered starting the company in the corner another company’s warehouse until they could get their own space in Kembrey.
“Since then, it's just gone from strength really”, said David. “We're happy, we're very happy.”
He is particularly proud of a new partnership with New College.
“We're going to get a lot more people coming in that really can't afford the training costs who are asylum seekers or refugees or just on the universal credit
“In the past we've been telling people the prices of courses and you can see in their faces they can't afford it.
“So now we're in a better position to help people it's going to be fantastic.”
The company also won the UK Business Award for Exceptional Customer Satisfaction 2024 and Seetec Partner of the Year 2024.
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