Howdens, a trade-only kitchen and joinery business, operates on the same core principles as when it was founded in the 1990s. It believes that everyone should benefit and it aims to ensure that it never lets people down, whether they are staff, customers, charities or residents in local communities.

The company began in Yorkshire and today it services the needs of more than 400,000 small builders in more than 700 places nationwide. The focus of the business is on meeting the needs of the company's depots and, in turn, its customers.

People depend on Howdens in all manner of ways. As it makes and sells products for what today is the heart of a home — the kitchen — it believes it has a particular responsibility.

The business has grown to become one that employs around 11,000 people. Sales reached £2bn last year and the company became a member of the FTSE 100. Howdens promotes a sense of ownership and heritage, which it maintains is a winning formula, one that everyone can connect to and take pride in.

Staff wellbeing is paramount, and the company recognises that the industry exposes some employees to physical risks. Howdens' responsibility is to help staff to protect themselves against these. The company's initiatives, "safe to trade" and "safe to supply", emphasise that its culture is committed to safety and encourage all employees to feel empowered to take responsibility for themselves.