Meet the Boss

Last edited on: 09 November 2023

Excess inventory management is an issue for every electronics manufacturer. Something CCL’s Managing Director Adam Chinery knows a lot about. Here we talk to him about his time in the industry.

What did you do prior to setting up CCL?

I had worked in the industry for over ten years, eventually working as Sales Director for a well known Electronic Component Distributor.

Why did you decide to set up the business?

I had a lot of experience, especially in Excess Inventory Management, which I felt I could use to create a company offering better service and returns to OEMs with Excess inventory issues. 

How did you start?

Firstly, in 1997 we rented offices in Warwickshire, financed by the sale of my motorbike! After six months we moved to converted offices on a Stud Farm. Vicky Osborn was my first employee, and she is now Sales Director, and shortly after Kasper Henriksen followed, and he is now Purchasing Manager.

In 1998 I invested in our bespoke Inventory management software and we continued to grow, taking over more farm buildings to house stock until the farmer built us a new warehouse. As the business expanded, we continued to employ more people in sales, purchasing, marketing, and accounts.

In 2001, the business had outgrown the Stud farm, so we decided to move to larger premises with bigger and better warehousing. Having looked at various options, the South West of England was the location of choice, with modern transport links and much of our business being international, whether we were in the Midlands or Devon made little difference.

In 2002 we settled into Unit 18 Durham Way which is where business remains today.

Do you visit trade shows in the industry?

We have been exhibiting at Electronica in Germany for over 10 years and like to visit different shows around the world.

The good thing about Electronica is that it gives us an opportunity to meet our customers face to face. With the type of business we are in, a lot of the work is done by phone and email so it is nice to be able to put a face to a name.

It is also a great way to introduce ourselves to hundreds of new businesses to make them aware of our services.

What makes CCL different from other companies in the industry?

Unlike other companies that offer an Excess inventory management service, the team at CCL only do Excess inventory management. 

This means that your Excess Inventory will get 100% of our attention 100% of the time. We don't sit back and wait for the phone to ring; our experienced Account Managers proactively market your stock until it is sold.

Our experience and knowledge of the industry put us in really good stead to be in a position of authority in the industry; a company who you can work with time and time again.