New bearings firm director to align processes
03/12/2010
A Devon-based precision bearing company is taking appointment of a new manufacturing director as an opportunity to establish lean manufacturing practices across the company.
HepcoMotion has appointed Barry Engstrom as its new Group Manufacturing Director, charging him with aligning best practice at the company's factories in Tiverton, Devon and Braintree in Essex.
He said he will be looking in depth at the supply chain management systems of the two facilities.
"We will be developing the business in line with our continuous improvement programme towards lean manufacturing," he explained. "But the short term focus for both sites will be the increase of Kanban controlled stock. Our business is growing again and we are very busy across all our product groups."
While the manufacturing processes reform is a short-term goal for the company, in the longer term the firm wants to address bridging the skills shortage. Specifically the company is looking at putting more investment into its engineering apprenticeship scheme.
The scheme - which has been in place for a number of years - has proven to be a highly effective approach for the company in developing staff that are exactly in tune with their processes. It has resulted in successive generations of apprentices rising through its management ranks.
Engstrom said, "There will be a fresh intake of apprentices at Tiverton in the coming months and we are actively seeking to put a similar programme in place at Braintree. It's a proven and time-honoured formula for us."
HepcoMotion has appointed Barry Engstrom as its new Group Manufacturing Director, charging him with aligning best practice at the company's factories in Tiverton, Devon and Braintree in Essex.
He said he will be looking in depth at the supply chain management systems of the two facilities.
"We will be developing the business in line with our continuous improvement programme towards lean manufacturing," he explained. "But the short term focus for both sites will be the increase of Kanban controlled stock. Our business is growing again and we are very busy across all our product groups."
While the manufacturing processes reform is a short-term goal for the company, in the longer term the firm wants to address bridging the skills shortage. Specifically the company is looking at putting more investment into its engineering apprenticeship scheme.
The scheme - which has been in place for a number of years - has proven to be a highly effective approach for the company in developing staff that are exactly in tune with their processes. It has resulted in successive generations of apprentices rising through its management ranks.
Engstrom said, "There will be a fresh intake of apprentices at Tiverton in the coming months and we are actively seeking to put a similar programme in place at Braintree. It's a proven and time-honoured formula for us."
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