Appreciation for years of service
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.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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Patrick Fromant has joined our Corby plant as the new Commercial Manager, responsible for the commercial activity and the sales team.
No stranger to the construction industry, Patrick brings with him a wealth of experience as a Graduate Trainee Manager, a District Sales Manager and Territory Sales Manager at Hanson UK, where he was responsible for several different concrete plants.
Patrick is driven, strategic, analytical, solution-focused, and customer-centric.
When asked why he joined the Joseph Ash Group, he said “After meeting the leadership team, it felt like a fantastic opportunity to join a great business with forward-thinking management. I am keen to utilise and develop my skillset to bring commercial success to the Group.”
In his spare time, Patrick is a regular gym goer and a food fanatic.
Please join us in welcoming Patrick to the Joseph Ash Group.
Great to have you with us Patrick!
You can reach Patrick on 01536 409818 or at patrickf@premiergalv.co.uk.
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We’re looking for additional hot dip galvanizing operatives for our Bilston, Bridgend, Chesterfield, Corby, Hull, Medway, Telford and Walsall plants. Are you interested?
We’re searching for reliable, flexible, self-motivated and hardworking individuals, to be employed on a full-time basis (after successful completion of a probationary period).
The plants operate 24 hours with team members working on a rotating shift system (including some weekends) to meet customer demand.
The role ensures the safe and efficient processing of work, from receipt through to the galvanizing process to finished product ready for despatch.
We offer a structured training programme for all team members.
Applicants must be physically fit and work well in a team within a fast moving production environment, where excellent customer service and high product quality is the key to our continued success. An excellent attitude towards health and safety is a pre-requisite of the role.
For further information please email:
Rob Nelson (Divisional Manager at Joseph Ash Bilston)
Kevin Williams (Divisional Manager at Joseph Ash Bridgend)
Mark Payne (Divisional Manager at Joseph Ash Chesterfield)
David Prattis (Divisional Manager at Premier Galvanizing Corby)
Alex Camp (General Manager at Premier Galvanizing Hull)
Tim Palmer (General Manager at Joseph Ash Medway) or Joel Fletcher
Stuart Cobourne (Divisional Manager Joseph Ash Telford)
Charlie Singh (Divisional Manager at Joseph Ash Walsall)
Discretion assured. No agencies please.
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We’re pleased to announce some long-time service achievements at Joseph Ash Galvanizing over the last quarter.
Please join us in celebrating Edwin Smith, Kate Webster, Wayne Smith and Joanne Winfield as they have all reached 15 year’s at the Company.
Edwin Smith (15 years at Joseph Ash Walsall)
Eddie joined Joseph Ash as a yard worker, working in the fettling area. He has worked his way up to be a key team member in our loading/unloading team in the busy yard at Walsall. As an experienced loader/unloader, Eddie understands the importance of safe, secure loading for our customers, colleagues, and visitors. Eddie adds a significant knowledge to our yard team, and is a loyal, hardworking employee. We are all the better for having him on our team.
We hope Eddie continues with us for many more years!
Kate Webster (15 years at Joseph Ash Walsall)
Kate joined Joseph Ash Walsall as an administrator on a part time basis in 2006. Kate has excelled in her role at all times, consequently being promoted to office manager in April 2014. Since her promotion Kate has built a fantastic team and has put systems in place to ensure the department runs smoothly and efficiently.
Kate is a loyal, hard-working employee who is well respected and liked throughout the Company, and who is seen as a model employee. We hope Kate continues to flourish within her department and with the business for many years to come.
Wayne Smith (15 years at Joseph Ash Chesterfield)
Wayne is a production operative at our Chesterfield plant. He has been a key member of the shift and is an experienced acid man. Wayne is a Manchester Utd supporter and a reliable member of the team. Congratulations on reaching 15 years Wayne!
Joanne Winfield (15 years at Joseph Ash Chesterfield)
Joanne has been a key member of the sales team working at our Chesterfield plant, supporting both Martin Hall (Commercial Manager) and Matthew Phillips (Customer Service Manager). Joanne is very well-liked by our MRS customers and is able to support the business in numerous roles if and when needed. Congratulations on reaching 15 years Joanne!
(Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash.com)
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We’re pleased to announce that Daniel Lyons has recently joined our Joseph Ash Medway plant.
With 15 years experience in Sales, Business Development and Customer Service, Dan brings a huge amount of customer service experience to the team.
We asked Dan what drew him to Joseph Ash Galvanizing. He said: “The chance to work for a market leading steel galvanizing company and manage and develop an already successful sales team was too good an opportunity to miss. I am a highly motivated and experienced Senior Manager who believes in providing a quality service environment, and I’m confident my inter-transferable skills from working in different sales environments puts me in good stead for this role.”
Dan is a keen football and rugby player and enjoys spending time with his family.
Welcome to the team Dan!
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Danielle joined us recently to work alongside Lucy Foster-Bowen at Joseph Ash Bilston. With a long career in the galvanizing industry, predominantly looking after new business and customer care/sales, we’re pleased that Danielle will now be utilising her experience as part of the Joseph Ash team.
Before working in galvanizing, Danielle worked for a security company (Allegion UK – formerly known as Ingersoll Rand) as a service process coordinator. She has always been in customer service/sales roles and has a passion for building and maintaining relationships with customers.
Danielle said “I am thrilled to be part of the team here at Joseph Ash as the galvanizing industry is where my heart lies. I’m looking forward to helping drive the business forward and maintaining strong relationships with existing customers. I’ve fitted it so well in the last few weeks and already feel right at home here.”
Danielle has two daughters who take up a lot of her time. She also loves to walk, swim and socialise (roll-on the end of lockdown!).
Welcome to the Joseph Ash team Danielle!
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Celebrating our team members across our plants
As we approach the end of the year – and what a year it’s been! – we’re celebrating some amazing long-term anniversaries, promotion achievements, and team members who have been doing a great job at Joseph Ash Galvanizing.
Meet some of our team members below and find out why we/they are celebrating!
Joseph Ash Telford
Tim Ball – congratulations on being one of the longest serving employees (30 years!)
Tim is one of the longest serving employees at Joseph Ash Telford, having worked at the plant for 30 years. He is highly experienced in all areas of the hot dip galvanizing process. In recent years, Tim has assumed the position of Quality Supervisor and is often called upon to train new starters due to his vast experience and friendly nature.
Stephen Hayward – congratulations on reaching your 15 year anniversary
Since joining Joseph Ash Telford in 2005, Stephen has spent the vast majority of the time working in jigging. He is respected by his colleagues as being one of the most experienced and reliable in this area.
Steve White – congratulations on a decade of service
Steve began working with Joseph Ash Galvanizing as a fettler in 2010, and due to his flexible and positive attitude towards work, has since been employed in a number of areas of the hot dip galvanizing process. Steve, who is regularly now found loading lorries during the night, is a trustworthy, dependable member of the team.
Joseph Ash Chesterfield
Shaun Hirst – celebrated for stepping up and achieving great results
Shaun’s varied skills makes him very versatile. During the challenges we’ve faced due to COVID in 2020, we have witnessed him step into the role of the Shift Assistant Supervisor, achieving amazing results in the process. Shaun has been with Joseph Ash for 15 years.
Mark Churm – celebrating 30 years and instrumental in generating great results
Mark has been with Joseph Ash for 30 years – an amazing amount of time! In recent years, Mark’s knowledge, experience and man management ability have been instrumental in helping the MRS cell (milk rounds) achieve great results.
Nigel Cooper – celebrated for being a reliable figurehead
Nigel has been with Joseph Ash for 25 years. During his time at the Chesterfield plant Nigel started on loading and progressed to the bath where he has become a reliable figurehead.
Myles Durward – celebrated for reaching 10 years and being a trusted member of the team
The knowledge, commitment and reliability that Mark brings to his role, make him a trusted and valuable member of the team. Mark is also about to become a father for the first time, so we wish him and his partner well! What a great gift for the end of the year/beginning of 2021!
Joseph Ash Walsall
Buta Uppal – celebrating 35 years in galvanizing!
Buta began his career with Frost and Sons Galvanizers back in 1985. He started as a general labourer before being transferred to Arkinstalls Galvanizing. During this time, he worked his way through most of the positions in the factory, eventually landing a foreman’s role. From there, he became the Transport Supervisor. In 2014 Buta joined Joseph Ash Walsall as part of the Arkinstalls acquisition. He has been working within the division, as a Transport Supervisor ever since and has become an integral part of the Walsall team.
Simon Davies – celebrating 25 years at Joseph Ash Galvanizing
Simon joined the Walsall team in August 1995. Throughout his time at the Company, he has worked in many different roles, including goods-in-and-out, amongst others. Simon has great knowledge of all aspects of the hot dip galvanizing process and has become multi-skilled in various roles. He is currently our Night Shift Team Leader on our White End (steel after galvanizing), overseeing all operations in the area, and ensuring our fleet of vehicles are loaded every night, ready for transportation to our customers the next day.
Mark Bonham – celebrating his 15th year at Joseph Ash Galvanizing
Mark Joined the Joseph Ash team as an HGV driver in July 2005. During his time with Joseph Ash Walsall, he has become one of the leading Class 1 Drivers within the division, generating a wealth of experience through carrying various types of steelwork all over the country. Mark has a great attitude towards his work and is very popular with his colleagues within the division.
Joseph Ash Bilston
Terry Henson – celebrating 20 years with Joseph Ash Galvanizing
Terry is a Black Line Leader at Joseph Ash Bilston and he is arguably our most experienced galvanizer. This year he celebrated 20 years at the plant.
Ian Frost – celebrating 20 years with Joseph Ash Galvanizing
Ian is a Material Handler at Joseph Ash Bilston and he is also celebrating 20 years with the Compay. Ian is an experienced galvanizer with extensive knowledge on finished goods and pot working.
Billy Davies – celebrating 15 years with Joseph Ash Galvanizing
Billy is a White Line Leader at the Bilston plant and he’s clocked up an impressive 15 years’ service. Billy is a highly skilled galvanizer, with extensive experience monitoring quality control.
Head Office
Wilma de Fonseca – celebrating 20 years with Joseph Ash Galvanizing
Finally, we’re celebrating a member of our Head Office team: Wilma de Fonseca who is a Purchase Ledger with 20 years Company experience under her belt.
Wilma previously joined Enviro Tanks (storage tanks manufacturer previously owned by Joseph Ash) as Purchase Ledger in 2000. In 2003 she was transferred to the Joseph Ash Head Office in the same role.
Wilma is a valuable member of the team. She is very friendly and always looking after other colleagues.
Wilma’s passion is baking and (pre-COVID) she indulged other team members at Head Office with her freshly made biscuits, cakes and famous rusks!
Congratulations all!
Well done to all of the above team members! And well done to all the amazing Joseph Ash Group team – from the shop floor to the offices – for what has been a challenging year for the whole country. We’ve been lucky to weather the COVID storm, but it wouldn’t have been possible without such an amazing group of people!
Happy December everyone and best wishes for 2021!
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As today is World Cancer Research Day, we’re pleased to share a story about one of our team members – Mark Payne, Divisional Manager at Joseph Ash Chesterfield – who has set himself the target of cycling 300 miles in September to raise £1000 for Cancer Research UK.
In normal times this is a worthwhile cause, but it is particularly important right now as Cancer Research has lost a huge £44 million in funding and donations since the advent of COVID-19.
Mark has always been interested in keeping fit and is normally the person in the gym lifting weights. However, a cardio cycling challenge has been a big (and new) undertaking. Mark said: “This will be by far the greatest number of miles I have ever attempted in a month, so this is by no means an easy challenge for me.”
Despite his initial concerns however, Mark has been doing well so far. He has had some excellent rides and keeps challenging himself to beat personal bests. In one session he managed over 40 miles!
With just one week left in September, Mark has recorded 260 miles. He thinks he’ll be able to beat his target of 300 miles and push on through to 450! Amazing!
Go Mark!
If you’d like to sponsor Mark and donate to Cancer Research UK, click on the link below.
https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/marks-cycle-300-fundraising-page-265
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Millions of people every day face the reality of living with a mental health illness – an illness that others may not see, know about or understand. Whether it’s anxiety, stress, depression or low moods, to illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar or Alzheimer’s, these conditions can have a dramatic effect on a person’s life.
At Joseph Ash Galvanizing we believe we have a duty of care and a moral obligation to our employees to help them have good mental health, especially as the workplace – regardless of industry or type – can sometimes be a place of additional stress or anxiety.
The Mental Health Foundation says: “We believe in workplaces where everyone can thrive. We also believe in the role of employers, employees and businesses in creating thriving communities.”
We believe in this too, and it’s why we have recently engaged in B.U.D.I.E.S training for good mental health.
The Mental Wellbeing B.U.D.I.E.S. virtual classroom is a one-hour programme to initiate mental health support in the workplace. The virtual classroom course is helping to give our staff the listening skills and B.U.D.I.E.S. framework to support their colleagues throughout the year.
The B.U.D.I.E.S framework focuses on:
B – Build a helping relationship
U – Understand
D – Determine if your colleague is in crisis
I – Inform about self-help
E – Encourage professional help
S – Safety at all times
The course stresses the importance of listening skills and how to deal with a crisis. It also encourages people to have ‘Wellbeing B.U.D.I.E.S.’ at work – someone to talk to if you’re in need of a friendly ear.
Before COVID, we were due to complete some Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training courses, but as these were going to be face-to-face, we’re pleased to have found an alternative in the B.U.D.I.E.S. virtual classroom.
A number of our team have already taken the B.U.D.I.E.S. training, and we have two more sessions scheduled for this week.
Later this year, we will complete the MHFA training and we’ll also provide colleagues with full contact details for support including:
- Their local BUDIE (telephone, email, Whatsapp)
- Contact details for our Employee Assistance Programme
- Local support networks
The Mental Health Foundation says: “Mental health is something we all have. When we enjoy good mental health, we have a sense of purpose and direction, the energy to do the things we want to do, and the ability to deal with the challenges that happen in our lives.”
At Joseph Ash Galvanizing we aim to promote good mental health, and foster purpose, direction and the ability to successfully navigate through life.
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