Amazing achievements!
Amazing achievements for three team members at Joseph Ash Galvanizing.
August 2018 marks some landmark achievements for three team members at Joseph Ash Galvanizing. Tracie Lockley, Collin Humphries and David Carling have each reached 20, 25 and 30 years respectively – an amazing 75 years between them!
Tracie Lockley – Deputy Divisional Manager, Joseph Ash Telford – celebrating 20 years
Tracie has been with Joseph Ash Galvanizing since 1998 when she joined our Birmingham division in the commercial department. Since that time Tracie has worked in various commercial roles for both Joseph Ash Galvanizing Birmingham and then Joseph Ash Telford, before opting for a change in direction by taking on the extremely challenging role of Works Manager at Telford in 2013. Having excelled in this role, Tracie is now Deputy Divisional Manager and is an essential member of the Telford team.
Collin Humphries – Galvanizing Operative, Joseph Ash Chesterfield – celebrating 25 years
Collin joined Joseph Ash Galvanizing as an agency worker in 1993. He has stayed with the company ever since and has worked most roles at the Joseph Ash Chesterfield plant from jigging, to hot dip galvanizing baths and acid. Since August 2014 he has been doing general site tidy up, and he now also gets to enjoy the company of his son, who also works at Joseph Ash Chesterfield.
David Carling – Divisional Manager, Joseph Ash Chesterfield – celebrating 30 years
David started at Joseph Ash Chesterfield in 1988 as QA and Maintenance Manager with environmental and health and safety responsibilities (for both the Chesterfield and Metnor plants). Before joining Joseph Ash he was an Engineering Manager at a foundry in Sunderland.
David became Technical Director at the Metnor plant in 2000 and in 2006 reverted to the role of Technical Manager. In 2010 he became Divisional Manager at Joseph Ash Chesterfield – a role he has had ever since.
From 1994 until 2006 David was also a part of the Galvanizers Association Technical Committee.
Congratulations Tracie, Collin and David for your long-time service achievements!
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In an era where people tend not to stay in ‘jobs-for-life’ and instead move from place to place every 3/4/5 years, we’re proud to say that almost every month we have a number of employees at Joseph Ash Galvanizing achieving long-time service milestones at our various plants. The last two months have been no exception! Let’s celebrate these achievements by recognising the individual team members:
Jeannette Dixon – Head Office (35yrs)
Jeannette tops our chart this month for long-time service, with a huge 35 years at Joseph Ash Galvanizing under her belt!
Jeannette left Secretarial College in 1983 and started her first job as Secretary to the Galvanizing Director at Joseph Ash, whilst also supporting the Works Manager and the Sales Team. After a period of five years she was appointed Secretary to the MD of the company.
She continued as a Secretary through many years – whilst also managing to take time out for maternity leave.
Since 1998/1999 Jeannette has held various roles in the company including Transport Secretary, Operations Administrator and Transport Compliance.
She has been a valuable addition to the company since she joined, she has become part of the furniture and we’re not sure what we would’ve done without her! Congratulations Jeanette. (The photos show Jeannette receiving a long-time service gift from Steven Hopkins, MD.)
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Next up are three team members who have recently celebrated two decades at Joseph Ash Galvanizing: Mark Andrew Peacock, Alan Warburton and Stuart Cartwright.
Mark Andrew Peacock – Joseph Ash Chesterfield – celebrating 20 years
Mark is an Assistant Foreman at Joseph Ash Chesterfield. Competent and knowledgeable, he has worked all of the shifts at the Chesterfield plant at some point in his employment, working days, nights, double days etc. What he doesn’t know about the workings of the Chesterfield plant, probably are not worth knowing. Congratulations Mark!
Alan Warburton – Joseph Ash Bilston – celebrating 20 years
Alan is a Galvanizing Operative at Joseph Ash Bilston. He is an important member of the team who has gained most of his experience in the white end de-jigging, and in preparing work for the customers post treatment. Two decades: a huge achievement!
Stuart Cartwright – Joseph Ash Bilston – celebrating 20 years
Stuart is a Galvanizing Operative and stand-in Supervisor at Joseph Ash Bilston. He knows Joseph Ash Galvanizing inside-out, having worked in most areas of the business during his time. Stuart currently works in the black end jigging department at Bilston, ensuring work is jigged correctly and is suitable for the upcoming processes. Congratulations Stuart!
Congratulations everyone!
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Celebrating 40 and 25 year anniversaries at Joseph Ash Galvanizing for Dalit Singh and John Eyre.
In 1978 the first test tube baby was born; the first mobile phone was introduced in Illinois; and Grease appeared at the cinema. This is the year that Dalit Singh joined Joseph Ash Galvanizing. Fast forward four decades and he is still here! What an achievement.
Dalit first started his job with Walker Brothers Galvanizing, which was 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. For the past 12 years he has been a Shift Supervisor at the Joseph Ash Walsall plant.
The news doesn’t stop there though! This month we’d also like to mention John Eyre who has also reached a 25 year milestone at Joseph Ash Chesterfield. John joined our Chesterfield plant in 1993, and can do pretty much every job in the plant (including driving a fork lift truck). Since May 2017 John has been the Shift Foreman at Chesterfield.
Both men have been very loyal workers and key team members in their respective plants. Congratulations to you both!
Next pageWe’re pleased to report a number of promotions and staff changes at Joseph Ash Bilston over the last few months. Please join us in congratulating Robert Nelson, the new Divisional Manager, who has been promoted from the position of Senior Technical Manager. Robert has taken over the role from Fred Haycock, who is retiring in April.
We also congratulate Lucy Foster-Bowen who became Bilston’s new Customer Service Manager in December.
Michael Worth was also promoted from Technical Manager to Senior Technical Manager; and finally Daniel Durn was promoted from Operational Support Manager at Bilston to the new Technical Manager for the whole of the Joseph Ash Group. Well done all!
Fred, we wish you well for your retirement after many, many years at Joseph Ash Galvanizing, and we’ll be sad to see you go. Best wishes for this next chapter!
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Congratulations to the runners and riders of the Velo Birmingham.
A couple of weekends ago the inaugural Velo Birmingham took place in the Midlands.
The course was 100 miles long and 15,000 cyclists of all abilities took part, criss-crossing through the picturesque Worcestershire and Staffordshire countryside before returning to Birmingham.
The event – which raised funds for various charities – was also created as part of the Birmingham Cycle Revolution, whereby Birmingham City Council are trying to encourage more people to take to the roads on two wheels, rather than four.
As per an earlier story on our website in March, we’re proud to say that members of Joseph Ash Galvanizing and Premier Galvanizing took part in the race: Stuart Cobourne, Justin Deegan and Richard Hall. They enjoyed the event and achieved very respectable times between 5.30 and 7.11 hours.
A Premier Galvanizing client, Stephen Harvey, also took part alongside Justin.
It was touch and go whether Justin would be able to do the race after his bike broke just before the start line. But luckily, a company called Cycle Republic – who had a stand at the event – were on hand to lend him another one.
Justin said: “The race itself was brilliant, the route and crowds were exceptional, and if I could choose between Ride London and Ride Birmingham, I would definitely choose Birmingham. A post ride beer and massage was the perfect way to finish a brilliant event. Are we comng back next year? 100%.”
Congratulations to the team!
You can see some of the photos of our team members at the event here.
Here’s to the Velo Birmingham 2018!
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40 years service for John Thrupp, as well as long-time service achievements for many other members of staff.
In 1977 when Indira Gandhi resigned from office, Concord took its first flight to New York from London, and the Queen celebrated 25 years of reign at her Jubilee Celebrations, John Thrupp joined Joseph Ash Galvanizing. 40 years have passed and we’re pleased to say that John is still with us and probably deserves his own Jubilee type celebration! What an achievement John!
John initially started work at our Birmingham plant as a works office clerk, he then moved into a role as Works Progress Clerk, before being promoted to Shift Supervisor. He then became Materials Controller and when the Birmingham plant closed he transferred to Joseph Ash Walsall to carry out the same role.
Steven Hopkins, Managing Director, and other members of Joseph Ash recently celebrated with John, and said thank you for being a great member of the team.
John is not the only team member from Joseph Ash Galvanizing to have reached a significant milestones at the Company though. In recent months we have also celebrated with:
- Phil Filkins, Joseph Ash Medway, who reached 20 year’s service at the plant in June
- Dean Winfield, Joseph Ash Chesterfield, who reached 30 year’s service in June
- Neil Horton, Joseph Ash Walsall, who reached 25 year’s service in June
- Kevin Hilden, Joseph Ash Medway, who reached 20 year’s service in July
- Sidney Holland, from Joseph Ash Telford who will reach 30 year’s service in August.
Congratulations everyone!
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Congratulations to Gerry Green – 35 year’s service with Joseph Ash Galvanizing.
It’s happened again! Another Joseph Ash Galvanizing team member – Gerry Green – has reached 35 year’s service with the company. This is great news!
Gerry started work at Joseph Ash Galvanizing in 1982 on a temporary contract working in our maintenance department at the Birmingham plant. He made such an impression that he was invited to stay on as a permanent employee and was offered a role in the production environment. Within a couple of years Gerry was promoted to Galvanizing Supervisor and after a further period was promoted to Assistant Divisional Manager, taking a major interest in health and safety issues and maintenance once again.
Further career progression saw Gerry installed as Walsall Divisional Manager in 1996 – a role he continued in until 2002 when he returned to the Birmingham division and took up the post as Birmingham General Manager.
In 1996 Gerry was promoted to Operation Directors, an all-encompassing role that covers all galvanizing operations and transport operations for the whole of Joseph Ash Galvanizing.
Gerry said “My time at Joseph Ash Galvanizing has been very enjoyable and challenging. No two days have ever been the same and the variety of roles has helped to keep up my enthusiasm for the job”.
It’s been a pleasure to have you working with us Gerry. Here’s to many more years!
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35 years’ service for Paul Marriott at Joseph Ash Galvanizing.
Congratulations Paul!
Think about the year 1982… What happened? The Mary Rose was raised, the Falklands War ended, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum was launched, The Jam split up and Kate Middleton and Prince William were born. It was a tumultuous, but interesting year.
1982 is also the year that Paul Marriott joined Joseph Ash Galvanizing and began working in the Chesterfield plant!
Three and a half decades later and Paul is still with our company, after 35 years’ unbroken service.
Paul has played a vital role since the Chesterfield plant opened. He was involved in the first trials of dipping steel into the baths, and he has contributed immensely to the growth and success of the plant, and the company as a whole.
It would be fair to say that Paul has seen more than a million tonnes of steel go through the plant.
Thank you for your service at the company so far Paul. And congratulations on reaching 35 years.
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Hill & Smith Holdings PLC is Joseph Ash Galvanizing’s parent company. In recent months they have launched their annual employee photography competition, seeking great images of their various companies and manufacturing processes. Some great prizes are up for grabs, and two members of the Joseph Ash Galvanizing team have stepped up to the challenge already and have submitted photos!
Here are a few of the stunning photos from Maciej Gadzinowski and Michael Griffiths at Joseph Ash Bridgend.
To see more photos from Maciej and Michael, click here.
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It’s always good to put a face to a name… With this in mind we thought we’d introduce the Sales Team at our Joseph Ash Medway plant.
First up is April Challis, our Sales Administrator, and Gavin Van De Peer, our Sales Executive. April and Gavin are both office based, so if you have any questions at all with regards to booking-in galvanizing, shot blasting or powder coating jobs in the South East, you can reach them on 01795 419813.
Next up is Alan Mitchell and Troy Clark, two of our Medway Sales Executives. Both Alan and Troy are on the road Mondays-Thursdays visiting customers (and office based on Fridays). You can reach Alan on 0772 1219703, and Troy on 0773 4230286 if you’d like to meet with them, or ask any questions about the shot blasting, hot dip galvanizing and powder coating services.
Finally we have Matthew Hodges – the Sales Team Manager. In his 20 years at Joseph Ash Medway, Matthew has held various positions including Galvanizing Manager and Powder Coating Manager, so you can be sure that everything there is to know about steel finishing services, he will know it. Matthew can be reached on 0782 550 6976.
Alan covers areas south of the Thames, and Troy covers areas north of the Thames, apart from Kent and East Sussex which is managed by Matt.
Get in touch with Medway today to discuss any jobs you’d like to book in the Kent/South East region.
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