A big anniversary year

Not only is Mila celebrating 40 years in the UK in 2020, several key people from across the business are celebrating milestone anniversaries as well: for technical director Strafford Cooke, 2020 is his 30th anniversary; for marketing director Sarah Gyde, it’s her 20th anniversary; and for Jennie James from Mila’s sales office team, it is her 10th anniversary.

Mila said it works hard to engender a feeling of family and togetherness, and a third of the staff have been with the business for more than a decade, and 10 for more than 30 years.

Managing director Richard Gyde – himself a 39-year veteran – said: “We know that our team are our biggest asset, so we’ve created a culture where hard work and loyalty are rewarded. Right across the business, our team have accumulated vast amounts of knowledge and experience and of course that’s ultimately what makes Mila a great company to do business with.”

Strafford Cooke said: “The coronavirus pandemic has shone a light on corporate cultures like nothing before, and the way that everyone in Team Mila has responded and been supported throughout has confirmed to me exactly why I’m still here after 30 years.

“Mila cares about its staff and its customers and that really matters to me. I’m proud to have spent so much of my career here and I’m already excited about what we will all do next.”

Sarah Gyde said: “Mila strives to be the best hardware business in the UK, and I think our marketing has always reflected that. Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked hard to help build a brand with real integrity which promotes quality and service above all else. Certainly, we differentiate ourselves via our products but, more importantly, we differentiate ourselves via our team, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Mila said it is almost unrecognisable from the business set up by Ray Gyde in Daventry in 1980, as the UK arm of the Mila operation founded in Denmark in 1971. Now part of Arran Isle Group, it has grown into an efficient global operation with an advanced supply chain manufacturing more than 70% of its own products, and achieving line otif, even in the middle of a pandemic, of around 90%.

“I’m incredibly proud of the fact that Mila is still a company which sets itself ambitious targets and is prepared to work incredibly hard to achieve them,” Richard said.
“We’ve grown and evolved over the years into a market leading business which is still setting the benchmark for others, and so much of that is down to the contribution of the many long-standing members of the team.”