"QUALITY JOE" WINS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Abels Moving Services awarded its Employee of the Year award to the man who, on his first try, successfully oversaw the auditing and renewal of all three of the company’s quality assurance and training accreditations during the same year.

Joe Dods, IT and quality manager, took over managing the accreditations in 2007. Each standard requires continuous data collection, verification and preparation. The auditors for one accreditation, who flew in from Brussels, conducted their audit in a single day. There was no room for error; Joe had to get everything right first time.

Not surprisingly to the company Joe proved himself up to the task, successfully renewing one after the other: Abels’ Investors in People, ISO 9001 (quality assurance), and FIDI FAIM (quality assurance for international removers) accreditations.

At the award ceremony celebrating Joe’s achievement, group managing director Philip Pertoldi presented him with a bottle of champagne, 125 in gift vouchers, and a certificate of recognition. Joe also received an elegant silver trophy engraved with the names of all of Abels’ previous employees of the year.

Philip Pertoldi said: “This is an award based upon staff nominations and Joe has been shortlisted in the past. On this occasion, his achievements in the year and the way he has approached all the tasks in a positive, ‘can-do’ manner, keeping his colleagues on board to meet deadlines, has made it an easy decision to support.”

Here is just a sample of what Joe’s colleagues have said about him in their nomination papers: Joe is friendly and approachable, with a ready smile. He thinks of solutions often outside the box and can grasp an idea and make it happen. Joe is always there to help when needed, and doesn’t let others struggle. He has the ability to plan, organise, train and implement with a good friendly humour. Joe listens to our needs, responds positively, shows trust and is a fantastic asset to the Abels team.”

Philip Pertoldi added: “With a new software platform to be introduced under his project leadership during 2009, Joe could just be the first to win the award twice. Congratulations from the whole board to an excellent winner.”

Joe humbly credited the success to his colleagues, who he says have continually supported him over the years, pressuring him to do well and showing appreciation for his efforts. He said: “You’re only as good as the people you work with,” said Joe. “And the people I work with are very good.”

This year is Joe’s tenth as an Abels’ employee. This year also marks Abels’ twentieth anniversary of holding a royal warrant to H.M. the Queen for removals and storage services.