About the business
Strachan & Kemp Commercial Services Ltd, founded by Steven Smernicki in 2014, was established with the goal of providing a single point of contact for all facility-related needs. The business delivers a wide range of services including maintenance, refurbishment, cleaning, landscaping, waste management and emergency repairs.
Drawing on his industry experience, Steven set out to offer a more straightforward and cost-effective alternative to larger facilities management companies, while delivering a broader and more reliable service than typical multi-trade contractors. Operating 24/7, 365 days a year, the business supports clients across the UK with a responsive and hands-on approach.
We’ve seen strong growth in recent years, and it became clear that we needed to evolve how the business is structured to support that and prepare for what comes next. The support from Business Gateway, and particularly the one-to-one guidance from Jim, has been incredibly valuable. It has helped us take a step back, strengthen our approach and make the right decisions to support the long-term development of the business.
How Business Gateway has helped
Following a period of sustained growth, the business has introduced a new group structure, splitting into multiple entities under a single parent company. This change is designed to strengthen day-to-day operations, improve efficiency and support continued expansion.
The business has been supported through one-to-one guidance from Senior Business Gateway adviser Jim Fagan, who has played a key role in advising on business strategy, growth planning and restructuring. This has included supporting the move to a group model, helping to shape future leadership plans and providing procurement guidance to enable the business to begin tendering for public sector contracts through Public Contracts Scotland.
Additional support in signposting routes to funding from Business Gateway also helped the company secure £5,000 from South Lanarkshire Council’s Growth Grant Fund. The funding was used to invest in specialist high-pressure cleaning equipment, allowing Strachan & Kemp to expand its service offering and deliver more specialised solutions to clients.