The importance of continuity

At Denholms and C E Edwards, we believe strongly that apprenticeships are just the start of a relationship that brings huge benefits for all involved. We aim to deliver the highest level of training and experience, in a supportive environment, with a good job at the end of it for those who make the grade. That way we are continually building a team in which the members are not only extremely skilled and knowledgeable about the equipment we use but share our outlook as a company.

We are very pleased with our track record in staff retention and delighted that so many employees don’t seem to want to leave, any more that we would want to lose them! Of course, we do have to accept that everyone retires eventually, and sad as we are to be saying goodbye to two long-time employees this autumn, no one could be more deserving of a long and happy retirement.

The end of an era

When Dave Lockett began as an apprentice in August 1967 (the Summer of Love), Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, the Vietnam War was raging, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band looked like it would stay at the top of the album charts forever. Very nearly half a century on, Dave has been with the company through every step of its growth and development, including the acquisition of C E Edwards in 1995. He will leave us at the end of October.

No less missed will be C E Edwards CNC machine operator Keith Bennett, who joined the company a mere 16-and-a-half years ago back in May 1999 and is set to retire in November this year.

Denholms and C E Edwards are extremely grateful for everything Dave and Keith have put into the company over so many years. Theirs will be big shoes to fill but we are confident that we have exactly the right people to step into them.

Securing the future

We are immensely proud of our powerful team ethic at Denholm Rees O’Donnell and sister company C E Edwards, and consider it crucial to maintaining our exacting standards and the quality of the service we can offer.

Vital ingredients in the approach we have fostered and thrived on are the empowerment of the complete workforce, encompassing an open-book philosophy with all staff, and bonus and profit sharing at every level.

Just as important as our long-term programme of investment in state-of-the-art technology and machinery is our commitment, financial and otherwise, to our very successful apprenticeship schemes, which embrace a full spectrum of roles.

Introducing our new team members

Those currently working and training at C E Edward’s Stoke on Trent base are:

• Liam Dowd- A 2nd year Conventional Turning and Milling Craft Apprentice

• Jonathan Whitehurst- A 3rd year CNC Turning Craft Apprentice

Learning from the fantastic workforce and management at Denholms in Aintree are:

• Jon Fazakerley- A 3rd year Conventional Mill/Horizontal Borer Craft Apprentice

• Harry Loftus- A 3rd year CNC Turner Craft Apprentice

Also at Denholms to ensure the steady flow of talented young workers into the future are:

• Tom Denton- A 2nd year Production Engineer Technical Apprentice

• Matthew Kimm- A 1st year Craft Apprentice, who has yet to decide on his specialism route.

• Alec Forward- A 1st year Apprentice, who has joined just this month.