Mick Jackson’s 40 years of love for Joseph Ash

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 and liked 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!

Next page

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!

---

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.

Next page

Apprenticeships are a valuable achievement, whether you’re newly out of school, or if you have years of working experience already behind you. For National Apprenticeship Week 2023, we decided to interview one of our current apprentices, Matthew Phillips for our latest ‘Meet the team’ article. Matthew is a Customer Service Manager at our Chesterfield branch. He started his Level 3 Team Leader course in June 2022, and has been with Joseph Ash since 2007.

Tying into this year’s theme of Skills for Life, we decided to ask him all about his apprenticeship experience, and learn about how he’s been able to progress his career.

Can you give us a brief overview of your current role at the company?

“I started at Joseph Ash in 2007 as a Customer Service Manager and my Team Leader apprenticeship in 2022. I’m due to finish my course in about six month’s time.

“As Customer Service Manager, I’m responsible for managing key accounts and day-to-day contact with customers. I have over 15 years’ experience in the industry, building key relationships with customers and clients. I help produce formal quotations, assist with production and transport requirements, and manage existing projects and provide site tours and visits.”

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship, and how has it impacted your career?

“I wanted to do an apprenticeship to further my training and knowledge. The training has been very useful in my development as a manager. The course has covered a wide range of topics, providing me with skills I can use within my role. This has helped me achieve my sales targets and develop my operational and project skills.

“The best thing I’ve learnt during my apprenticeship is gaining an understanding of the impact of unconscious bias and emotional intelligence.

“I’m looking forward to developing my team and managing more projects in the coming year. I’m more equipped to do these thanks to the skills I’ve learnt in my apprenticeship.”

Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in completing an apprenticeship?

“Enjoy the training, and use the information provided within your role.”

When asked about his interests outside of his apprenticeship and career, Matthew commented:

“I’m a very sporty person and enjoy playing football and running. I play for two football teams on a Saturday and Sunday, and support Derby County (best team in the East Midlands). I also enjoy spending my spare time with family and friends, and going out for nice food and drinks. When using my holidays, I like travelling the world seeing different cultures and going on new adventures.”

“Believe it or not I’ve once appeared on a TV soap called Peak Practice when I was younger.”

Contact Joseph Ash Galvanizing today if you’re looking for you next career step or any apprenticeship opportunities!

Next page

In October 2022, Joseph Ash Ltd acquired Widnes Galvanising, which became the ninth plant for the Group. We thought this would be a good opportunity to interview Widnes’ Commercial Manager, Gavin Jones in our latest ‘Meet the team’ article to find out a bit about him and what his plans are for the division.

Meet Gavin Jones:

Can you give us some history on your career?

“I’ve been a Commercial Manager since June 2020 but have been with Joseph Ash since May 2015. I previously held the position of Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality Manager at the Telford branch.

“Before Joseph Ash, I worked as a salesperson for a medical equipment supplier. I travelled all over the UK but decided to find a position closer to home when my wife was pregnant with our first child.

“I lived in Telford at the time a ‘Management Trainee’ position became available at the Telford branch. After meeting with Stuart Whitehouse, Stuart Cobourne and Tracie Lockley at the interview stage, I could tell it was the kind of company I wanted to work for.”

Can you give us an overview of your day-to-day?

“In my current role as Commercial Manager at Widnes Galvanising it is my responsibility to ensure the division secures sufficient sales revenue to achieve our targets.

“My day-to-day tasks include customer analysis, prospecting, and quoting all enquiries.

“Aside from the sales side of the role, I often refer to myself as a kind of project manager as I am the link between our customers, production and transport. I also spend many days on the road visiting customers for all kinds of reasons, such as advice on their designs and discussing pricing.

“This year I am getting far more involved with the overall running of the business.”

What are your goals for the Widnes plant?

“My goal is to grow the business and increase our weekly tonnages by 20% while maintaining the excellent turnaround times and service. The quality of Joseph Ash’s galvanizing has always been first class, so I’m hopeful that new customers will see the benefit of using Widnes Galvanising going forward.”

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

“I’m a massive foodie and I’m always trying new recipes when cooking at home. I worked as a chef in a pub kitchen, and an Indian restaurant whilst I was at university. I haven’t ruled out the possibility of opening my own restaurant one day.”

If you’d like to get in touch with Gavin at Widnes Galvanising to discuss your hot dip galvanizing requirements, you can reach him at gavinj@josephash.co.uk.

Next page

We’ve recently launched a new set of company values for the Joseph Ash Group. They are collectively called ‘Our Chemistry’ – to reflect our excellent relationships with each other, our clients, suppliers and partners, and the chemicals we use in our galvanizing processes.

To create the values, we held several focus groups across the plants to find out what was important to our team members and what values they wanted to live by at Joseph Ash. We spoke to colleagues on the shop floor, administration and service teams at Head Office, and Commercial Teams at our different divisions. Everyone was offered the opportunity to share their thoughts on what our culture and behaviour look like when we’re at our best and what needs to be added to ensure the Joseph Ash Group thrives and grows. The resulting values are:

We thrive on team spirit, whether we’re looking out for each other’s safety or working together to meet targets. Providing help and assistance, celebrating achievements, and laughing are the elements that bind us together. We have each other’s backs.

The safety and success of our business and our future sit in our hands. We know what is expected of us as individuals and teams and demonstrate a ‘can-do’ attitude to get things done.

Growth through teaching and learning (internally and externally) is the catalyst for everything we do. We lead with experience and heritage, but we’re also enthusiastic about advancing and improving our products, processes, the industry and ourselves.

We respect each other and our differences and treat people as we want to be treated ourselves. We mix kindness with good manners and listening skills. We also appreciate family: not only in our home lives but also in the family we have at work.

If you’d like to know more – or if you’d like to join our team – please get in touch!

Next page

Stephanie Harding has joined the Joseph Ash Group as our new Commercial Manager for the Chesterfield plant.

Stephanie brings a strong background in manufacturing, having worked 10 years in the plastics recycling industry for Regain Polymers Ltd and Preston Plastics Ltd.

Holding Head of Purchasing, Commercial Manager and Group Executive Manager roles at these companies, Stephanie honed her buying, sales, forecasting, management, people development, and customer relationship management skills. The perfect skillset for this new role.

At Joseph Ash, Stephanie will be responsible for the commercial activity at Chesterfield, reporting to Martin Hall (Divisional Manager) to help deliver the plant’s five-year strategy. She will also lead the Commercial team (six people).

When asked why she joined the Joseph Ash Group, Stephanie said, “Lots of reasons! Firstly, I like the company’s ethos: it’s forward-thinking and has the right values. I like the environment, too, as people seem to have drive, passion and focus. I also enjoyed meeting Martin and felt we were on the same wavelength regarding how to grow a business.”

In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys family time and trying new activities such as paddle boarding and indoor skydiving. She also loves to travel.

In the next few months, she plans to visit many customers and the eight other Joseph Ash Group plants.

Please join us in welcoming Stephanie to the company! You can reach her on 07827 078 881 or at stephanieh@josephash.co.uk.

Next page

At the beginning of the month, our colleague, Rebecca Lee from Joseph Ash Chesterfield, witnessed a road traffic accident where a young child was severely hurt and stopped breathing. As Health and Safety Manager at Joseph Ash, Rebecca rushed over and used her training to swing into action. She administered CPR and saved the boy’s life.

Martin Hall, Divisional Manager at our Chesterfield plant, said: “Rebecca’s selfless actions not only saved the child but also changed the lives of countless others close to him. This will have repercussions for generations of his family to come. As a company,  and as her colleagues, we are inspired by Rebecca and wish to celebrate her as our genuine hero.”

Well done, Rebecca! We couldn’t be more proud.

Next page

Congratulations to our colleague Kevin Hilden (pictured on the right) who has reached 25 years service with Joseph Ash!

Kevin has worked at our Medway plant since July 1997, and has been a valuable part of the team.

Kevin started in the powder coating department as a finished goods packer, before moving to a line loading position where he kept the work lined up to be sprayed. For the last five years Kevin has been a wirer, wiring up steel at the start of the galvanizing process.

Michael Dane (pictured right) has been Kevin’s foreman for the last 10 years.

If you’re interested in a career at Joseph Ash Galvanizing, please get in touch with us.

Next page

The start of Autumn has seen a string of anniversaries for various team members at Joseph Ash Galvanizing, with six of our colleagues celebrating long-time service ranging from 15-25 years.

The six team members are Balbir Singh, Charanjit Singh, Noulla Heath, Alan Jackson, Karen Walls, and Tony Hagen.

_____________________

Joseph Ash Walsall

Balbir Singh – 20 years

Balbir initially joined the Joseph Ash team in 2001 as a Pot-man. However, following the closure of the Birmingham plant, he was transferred to the Walsall division.

During his career, Balbir became a shift supervisor, where he remains in place today.

Balbir is well regarded as an all-round excellent worker, who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to Joseph Ash Galvanizing throughout a career spanning two decades. He is well thought of and respected by all within the division, and it is a pleasure to have him working with us.

Charanjit Singh – 15 years

Charanjit joined our Telford plant in 2006 as a Jigging Operative and later a pot-man. In 2013 Charanjit transferred to the Walsall division as a Jigging Operative.

Since transferring over to Walsall, Charanjit has become a key team member. He is an extremely hard-working, loyal and all-round excellent team member.

_____________________

Joseph Ash Chesterfield

Noulla Heath – 25 years

Noulla works in administration/invoicing at Joseph Ash Chesterfield. She is an integral part of the team, especially as her knowledge is second to none.  She is a great person to have around as she is friendly, enthusiastic, and always has a positive outlook.

Alan Jackson – 20 years

Alan has undertaken several positions at Chesterfield, ranging from working on the bath and with the loading team. He was the assistant supervisor on his shift for many years and now supervises the MRS goods out.

Alan is a key team member at Chesterfield and has been instrumental in the improvements relating to material shipping.

Alan has provided an excellent level of support for change on the site, and we hope he remains in the team for many years to come.

_____________________

Joseph Ash Head Office

Karen Walls – 15 years

Karen joined Head Office in 2006 as a Credit Controller. Since then, she has been responsible for managing the payments of JA customers. During this time, Karen has been a hardworking and valuable staff member. Her positive attitude puts a smile on colleagues and customer’s faces.

Tony Hagen – 20 years

Tony is a very experienced HR professional who began working for the British Coal Board and then Sterling (part of the Doncaster Group). Tony leads our HR function, is well known and liked by all in the business and has done some excellent work raising the standards of ‘Our People’ practices.

(Photo by Universal Eye on Unsplash)

Next page

Two new joiners have joined the Sales Team at Joseph Ash Walsall. Please meet Jordan Sanders and Lesley Elcock.

Jordan Sanders – Sales and Customer Service Advisor

Jordan has a flair for sales and all things customer-related and is a whizz with IT. We’re sure she has a great future ahead of her with Joseph Ash.

jordans@josephash.co.uk          
DDI: 01922 709 982

Lesley Elcock – Sales and Customer Service Advisor

Lesley joins us with a wealth of experience in sales and customer service. Her enthusiasm and experience will be a great asset to the Division.

Lesleye@josephash.co.uk          
DDI: 01922 709 997

Please join us in welcoming both Jordan and Lesley to the Joseph Ash Sales family. Good luck to them both in their new and exciting roles.

Next page