05 January 2010

2009 - time to reminisce or glad it's over?

• 2009 review,
• Steenbergs,
• team work

2009 has probably been one of the more challenging years for Steenbergs. Not because of the economic climate particularly but because the normally healthy fighting fit 9 people who currently make up Steenbergs went through rather more medical problems than we are all used to. As a relatively small team we are more like family so the problems of manpower cover have been compounded by concern over the relative staff illnesses. However, the two things we had in our favour were a general positiveness and sense of humour - which all the staff managed to retain throughout.

Our medical knowledge (and pronounciation and spelling) expanded with not one but two cases of labyrinthitus. The most amazing thing about this was the discovery by one of the affected members of staff that brain excersises proved more effective than medicine.

Next in the litany of illnesses was thyroid cancer. We now know what the thyroid is and does and I'm delighted to say this was another one cured - although six weeks of voicelessness was just one of the many challenges to overcome with this.

Finally just when we thought we were through it all and a complete team at last - just before November -  another member of staff tripped in the centre of Ripon and broke a finger and fractured an elbow. Everyone pulled together amazingly ably assisted by two friends of Steenbergs and we still managed to send out three pallets in the first week (one to Finland, one to Sweden and one to Portugal) - on time - on top of all the other orders.

So it's been a hard but strangely satisfying year - hopefully 2010 will revert to the more normal healthy Steenbergs. Fingers crossed. Whatever happens I know that the team wi'll rise to the challenge.

Many thanks to everyone who helped and to all our staff for coping with all the challenges and who managed to keep their sense of humour and politeness (mostly) throughout.  I'm delighted to report that everyone is now fully recovered which is great news all round. We're not quite at our full complement but that's for a much nicer reason as one of the team is travelling for a month in Laos (one of Axel and I's favourite place), Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Happy new year to everyone - hope this one is a healthy one for us all.