From Local Roots to Business of the Year: How Culture, Leadership and Care Power Dawleys’ Success
When the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce named Dawleys Business of the Year 2025, it felt like a defining moment. We were also named Leading Employer of the Year and received Highly Commended for Excellence in Customer Service. To be recognised in such a strong field was humbling and a real credit to the team who make Dawleys what it is.
But we don’t do what we do for awards… although they are nice to receive. We do it because we believe delivering exceptional customer service matters. And we’ve built a business where our team genuinely care about their clients, their teammates and their own development.
As the judges put it:“Dawleys isn’t just a good company, it’s a truly great one. A strong culture, exceptional service and investment in people run through everything they do.”
What We Do and How We Do It
Dawleys is a business process outsourcer based in Ross-on-Wye. We support clients across the UK, Europe and the US with outsourced contact centre services, data management and fulfilment solutions. Our clients range from global brands to growing eCommerce and charity organisations.
Our job is to make life easier for our clients, offering a bespoke one-stop solution that enhances their reputation and enables them to focus on their core business. Whether that’s answering helpline calls, managing customer returns, cleaning data, managing databases, or providing expert frontline customer support and specialist sales teams, we step in as a trusted partner.
Our team are trained as Brand Ambassadors, representing our clients with consistency and care. That’s why so many clients see us as an extension of their own team
Growing Leaders: The Shadow ExCo Programme
We’re proud of our Shadow ExCo programme, a 9-month internal course that develops Dawleys’ future leaders. Launched in 2024, it’s hands-on and built around live business projects aligned to our Dawleys Flywheel: Attract → Deliver → Delight → Grow.
Each participant tackles a project tied to strategic goals like improving client onboarding or enhancing internal comms. They learn to think strategically, present confidently and lead with purpose. In return, we benefit from stronger processes, smoother service, higher engagement and a growing leadership pipeline.
Culture That Feels Personal
Everything we do starts with culture. We hire for values and attitude, not just experience. We’ve built structured training like Brand Embrace, which helps team members truly live our clients’ brands. All our Client Services team have progressed internally a reflection of our commitment to promoting from within.
We support wellbeing through initiatives like private health cover, discounted gym memberships, access to coaching, our onsite Social Hub and regular fundraising events. We also celebrate success through our WOW Board, which highlights team contributions that truly wow and go above and beyond.
It’s not about perks, it’s about purpose. The team at Dawleys know they matter. This creates a service culture where clients and their customers feel they are heard and cared for.
Community at Our Core
In 2024 we were proud to win the Commitment to the Community Award. Through the Dawleys Foundation, we support foodbanks, charities, schools and local sports. Many of our team actively volunteer and fundraise. Since 2019, we’ve also been front-of-shirt sponsors for Hereford FC. Supporting our community isn’t a side project, it’s who we are.
What’s Next
Over the next three years, we have stretching financial targets, but stay true to our roots. We’re focused on:
- Expanding our service offering
- Integrating AI without losing the human touch
- Driving improvement through our Every Second Counts initiative
- Develolping further The Dawleys Academy; a structured learning hub for team development
Honouring Our Roots
Dawleys celebrates 36 years in 2025. We were founded by Roger Parckar, whose belief in doing the right thing still shapes who we are. Roger passed away in 2021, but his legacy is at the heart of our culture. We hope he’d be proud of how far we’ve come.
A Final Word
Awards are lovely but they’re not the goal. They’re the outcome of doing business the right way.
As Managing Director Sally Gibson says: “I’m constantly amazed by the team at Dawleys. Their ability to make the exceptional feel easy every single day is what makes this business truly special.”
We’re proud. We’re grateful. And after 36 years, we’re just getting started
