A golf marathon in aid of TOFS charity

Liam Houghton, Assistant Divisional Manager at Premier Galvanizing Corby will be completing a 72-hole golf marathon in aid of the charity TOFS – a charity that supported his son through his difficult start to life.

Liam commented on the charity:

“TOFS not only supported my son through the difficult start to his life, but also supported me and my fiancée through the struggling times by giving us incredible information and guidance to prepare us for the road ahead. This is my way of giving back to TOFS, so that they may continue to help future children and families in need.”

The fundraising event will take place at Market Harborough Golf Course on Thursday 29th June 2023, so there’s still plenty of time to donate.

You can show your support for Liam and the charity by donating to the cause here. Every donation will help the charity continue to help those with OA/TOF.

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About the charity

TOFS was set up in 1982 by parents of children born with OA/TOF (some of whom are still associated with the charity). They became a registered charity in 1987. 

Forty years on, they are still helping families through the challenges of bringing up a child with OA/TOF, VACTERL and associated conditions. Now, there is an increased focus on support for the cohort of adults who live with the consequences of being born with OA/TOF. 

They are now the world’s largest English-speaking support group for those born unable to swallow. They have members in over 60 countries, and whilst they receive no government funding, they are a small charity with big aims. The charity is dedicated towards a world where those born with these conditions live long and healthy lives.

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Joseph Ash Galvanizing takes health and safety seriously; we hold numerous policies dedicated to health and safety compliance. To make sure we maintain these regulations, we need someone in charge of our Health and Safety department. This is where David Hull, Head of Health and Safety comes in!

We interviewed David Hull and found out a bit about him and his role at Joseph Ash.

Meet David Hull:

I am Head of Health and Safety, reporting to the Managing Director. As part of my role, I provide strategic guidance and direction for the Company, and hands-on support for our 10 locations across the UK. I’m responsible for the development and support of 12 Health and Safety practitioners of various levels.

The role involves driving continuous improvements through regular engagement with General Managers and the Health and Safety team, conducting a variety of subject matter inspections, audits, assessments and reviews of incident investigations, trend analysis and action plan reviews. I also assess and review business risks and challenges, and offer pragmatic solutions to ensure the business keeps moving effectively and efficiently.

Can you give us some history on your career?

I’ve been in Health and Safety for 28 years, working across a variety of industries from logistics, FMCG, mining and oil and gas. I have worked in Jordan, Germany, Belgium and Oman. 

What drew you to the company?

The industry has always attracted me, and with a success story dating back over 165 years I thought I’d look into what the Company does. When I saw how seriously you take health and safety, I figured this could be a good business to be a part of.   

What are your health and safety goals for the plants?

I want to take the plants from reactive-based safety to behavioural-based; this not only reduces incidents but can improve operational efficiencies.

What types of health and safety projects are on the horizon that you can talk about?

There are lots of changes to make to the management system. These include simplifying risk assessments and safe systems of work, creating dynamic risk assessment, and improving our control of contractors.

Tell us something that people might find surprising about you.

I have run several Ultra Marathons around the world. My wife and I love to travel but I usually try to plan a sneaky race while we are away. The races can take anywhere from 6 hours to 24 hours.

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Widnes Galvanising, a leading provider of galvanizing services within the Joseph Ash Group, can now bring shot blasting and powder coating services to their customers. These new offerings bring Widnes Galvanising, which was acquired by the Joseph Ash Group in 2022, up to speed with other plants within the Group. Customers in the North West now have access to a wider range of finishing options, and can expect to save time and money on transportation and service fees.

Shot blasting is a highly effective process for removing rust, paint, and other contaminants from metal surfaces. It is essential for maximising the effectiveness of galvanizing and powder coating. Widnes’ other new offering, powder coating is a popular coating technique that provides a durable finish. It allows metal to be coated in a range of colours and textures while retaining the strength of galvanizing. Widnes Galvanising’s new offerings are perfect for making their customers’ steel fabrications stand out from the crowd.

Widnes Galvanising is committed to delivering the highest quality steel treatment services. With their new shot blasting and powder coating capabilities, the company is well-positioned to maintain its reputation as a leading service provider within the Joseph Ash Group. If you’re near the North West area, Widnes Galvanising is ready to strengthen your steel.

For more information about Widnes Galvanising and its services, please visit the company’s website at www.widnesgalvanising.co.uk or contact Gavin Jones at gavinj@widnesgalvanising.co.uk.

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Another new face to the Joseph Ash Group, keen to introduce themselves! Paul Williams has joined our team at Widnes Galvanising as Maintenance Manager for the branch. We took the chance to speak with Paul in our latest ‘Meet the Team’ and find out all about him and his new role.

Meet Paul Williams:

Can you give a brief overview of your role?

My role as Maintenance Manager is to keep production running smoothly. I liaise with contractors, management, and staff to keep the daily operations of the plant working as they should. Basically, if it breaks, it’s my job to fix it.

Can you give us some history on your career?

My previous job was as an electrical contractor working on all manner of sites, from hospitals to petrochemical sites. This came to an end in 2009 when I took up a maintenance role for another galvanizing company, which was my introduction to the galvanizing industry.

What drew you to the company?

I saw the job advertised at Joseph Ash and saw there was potential to grow, improve and challenge myself in my first management role. I love a challenge and felt that my skillset very much matched the job advertised, and I wanted to progress.

What is your favourite/most memorable project to date?

Being so new to the company I’m just starting to get my teeth into our first round of improvement works over Easter. I actually enjoy the planning stages and seeing the various works come together to reach the common goal.

What projects are you looking forward to in the coming year?

I’m generally looking forward to improving the site, how we operate, working as part of a larger team and increasing production.

Tell us something that people might find surprising about you.

People normally double take when I tell them I’m a professional wrestler (WWE style) and have worked on shows up and down the country. I have also been lucky enough to wrestle internationally in Belgium, Australia and the United States. I even had a small part in the Hollywood movie “Fighting With My Family”, starring The Rock.

I’ve also completed a few marathons – one ultra marathon and a century bike ride (not on the same day though!). I also help coach a local football under 16 team (Cromwell Thunderbolts) which my son plays for too, so I’m quite busy generally.

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2023 is the year of incredible long service milestones, as Dalit Singh recently celebrated 45 years at the Company! It was only last month on Valentine’s Day that Mick Jackson celebrated 40 years at Joseph Ash Galvanizing. Now, Dalit from Joseph Ash Walsall has his long service recognised.

Dalit started working for Joseph Ash in March 1978. He has worked through every role in the Walsall galvanizing plant, including Shift Supervisor for over 12 years.

Dalit first started his job with a company called Walker Brothers Galvanizing. The company was later taken over by Hill & Smith, Joseph Ash Galvanizing’s parent company. His first job was in Jigging Materials, and he then moved to become a Pot Man before his aforementioned Shift Supervisor role.

Amy Leachman from Joseph Ash Walsall commented on Dalit’s 45 years:

“Through his time, he has been a fantastic employee, with vast experience in our industry and someone that the division has been able to rely on. I personally have learned from Dalit’s expertise during my time spent with the production team and can see just how important a role he has played!”

Thank you for all your years of service, Dalit!

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We’re shining a light on Jessica Ramanouski, Office & Sales Administrator, as the latest face to join our Widnes Galvanising branch. We hope our current (and future) customers will look forward to interacting with Jess in the coming months!

Meet Jessica Ramanouski:

As well as the admin side, I have started to work with our Commercial Manager, Gavin. Gavin is teaching me the sales part of the company and I am working alongside him to improve our techniques and find new customers.

What was your history before joining the company?

When I finished school, I did an apprenticeship in Business Administration. I worked in a forklift training centre for seven months and loved every minute of it. Due to my age, I decided to complete my A-Levels to save complications with funding as I got older. After this, I spent four years at Liverpool Hope University studying for a BA in History & Media and Communication, and an MA in History. During this time, I worked for a supermarket as a Team Leader, and also qualified as a makeup artist.

I met amazing people and learnt many transferrable skills. I enjoyed my time there; however, I was always yearning for a graduate job where I could put my knowledge and skills to good use. So, you can imagine my happiness when I got this job. I felt like I was coming full circle, starting this job exactly 10 years after my apprenticeship.

What drew you to the company?

Widnes Galvanising is a local business to me. It’s where my dad worked when I was a child, and my little brother is currently a manager here in the production office. I heard a lot of positive things about the company and people after it had been taken over by Joseph Ash. I did some research and liked the sound of the ethics and eco-friendliness of the company so I decided to apply.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

I’m looking forward to working with new people and developing an ever-growing customer base. I’m also looking forward to getting more involved in sales and marketing, and developing my knowledge.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

I am a huge fan of makeup and the art of drag. I am a qualified makeup artist and I will often have a face full of makeup on, including rhinestones. I am obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Race and when I am not in work, I will spend time binging episodes. 

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The Structural Steel Design Awards (SSDA) is happening again this year, and the deadline for entries is fast approaching. 2023 is the 55th anniversary of the Awards so it’s set to be a big year.

The event will once again be celebrating the excellence of steel construction in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

If you have a steel design project that you are proud of, enter the Structural Steel Design Awards 2023 this coming week. The deadline for entries is Friday 24 February so now is the time to enter.

You can view last year’s shortlist and award winners here.

Find out more information and the entry criteria here.

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It’s Valentine’s Day, 2023. Forty years ago today, Mick Jackson started his career at Joseph Ash Galvanizing and is now celebrating his ruby anniversary with the Company!

Before starting at Joseph Ash, he sold tape for an engineering company, and had previously completed an apprenticeship as an Electrical Technician. Over the years he has taken on numerous positions, and he is well-respected by all those around him.

Staff at the Halesowen Head Office surprised Mick with gifts, including alcohol and chocolates. He and his colleagues will also be celebrating the occasion at a local restaurant.

We recently caught up with him to look back at his time at the Company and the memories he’s had along the way.

“In the early 90’s there was a requirement at our London division for someone experienced to manage their commercial sales activities. I was asked if I wanted to help on a temporary basis while maintaining my role at Birmingham. For the next 18 months, I split my time working in London for three days a week and Birmingham for the other two days. Once the London operation had stabilised, I returned to Birmingham full time and, given my excellent work in London, I was promoted to Sales Office Manager at the Birmingham Head Office.

“I spent some more years gaining sales experience (especially externally) visiting customers, and around ’96 I’d progressed to National Sales Manager, holding responsibility for sales across all twelve divisions we had at the time. There were about ten External Sales Engineers and twelve Internal Sales staff whom I was responsible for.

“We developed a solid marketing strategy, including the creation of our social media channels and exhibiting for the first time, spreading awareness of Joseph Ash and its brand all over the UK. And that leads to where I am today, as Joseph Ash’s IT and Marketing Manager.  I’m also current Chair of the Galvanizers Association Marketing Committee.

“A lot has happened over 40 years, as you’d expect. Some good, some not so good, mostly good though! There’s lots of great people at Joseph Ash. Some have become very good friends. They make it a great place to work.”

When asked what his biggest achievements over the past 40 years were, Mick responded:

“Creating the CRM system was a huge achievement. It’s helped the company out massively and allowed us to grow and manage our customer base. I’m also proud of creating our overall marketing strategy, going from almost nothing to what we have today.”

Mick’s favourite memory during his 40 years is a touching one. He explains:

“I’d received a letter from an ex-employee. She was initially one of my internal sales execs, then she worked for me as an IT trainer, helping train the workforce in the use of the CRM system. She’d written the letter to thank me for helping her develop as an individual, develop her career and grow her confidence. She said she would always think of me as the person who opened her future. It was really nice; I still have it at home.”

Thank you, Mick, for all your years of hard work and dedication to the Company!

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Mark Lamb, Internal Recruiter at Joseph Ash Galvanizing, is a keen football fan and a man on a mission to lose weight. He joined a Man v Fat Football group in 2020 – a wellbeing programme aimed at helping men lose weight and have fun playing football. Mark has been part of the programme for two and half years and has lost 11.5 stone since joining.

Although the programme is primarily focused on weight loss and improving physical health, exercise also improves mental health.

Unfortunately, men’s mental health is still stigmatised despite increased awareness over recent years. So, joined by their collective goal of weight loss, Mark and the rest of his Man v Fat Football team made it their mission to trek across the Midlands in aid of two amazing causes – Mind mental health charity and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

The team’s first cause, Mind, aims to spread awareness of mental health and help those in crisis. The team’s second cause, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, was selected as many of the team have needed their services, having children treated for various illnesses. Grateful for their help in the past, it felt right to give something back to the hospital.

As the group all support different football leagues and given the football focus of their Man v Fat programme, they decided to incorporate their differences into the challenge. It was decided they would walk from Birmingham St Andrew’s Stadium all the way to Wolverhampton Molineux Stadium, stopping off at Villa Park, The Hawthorns, and Bescot along the way. In total, this covers just shy of 20 miles – no walk in the park for only one night.

In the twilight hours of Saturday 11 February, the 13 men set off on their journey in the dark and cold. Seven and a half hours later at 5:30am on Sunday 12 February, they arrived at Wolverhampton Molineux Stadium, very tired but incredibly proud of what they had achieved.

Mark Lamb commented on the experience:

“We wanted to showcase that men from various leagues in the Midlands can come together to do something good. It was a long challenge that affected us all both physically and mentally but managing to get through as a group and finishing it together was a great moment for us all.”

At the time of publication, they have raised nearly £3,000 – almost triple what the group had set as their goal. Hill & Smith Plc, Joseph Ash Galvanizing’s parent company, donated £500 as part of their Charity Match Scheme.

Congratulations, Mark and the team!

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There’s still time to donate and make a difference. Visit Mark’s Just Giving page and help the lives and wellbeing of many.

Alternatively, visit Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Mind’s websites to find out more about them.

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