Issue 13 | Autumn 2017 Page 1

Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

Moulding Together

Dear Colleagues

I hope you all enjoyed a fine

summer and are ready for the

final push towards Christmas

and the end of another

year…time flies when you’re

having fun!

As the evenings draw in I’m delighted and relieved

to be able to say that the acute problems we have

suffered with raw material supply appear to be

easing and we should be in a position to return to

the levels of service our customers expect and that

we expect to provide; it has been extremely difficult

in the UK in particular but even in Kildare the issues

haven’t been without impact.

The final quarter of the year is always an interesting

time as the market begins to look towards the

following year and supply deals are discussed; this

year is no exception and as ever we look forward

with optimism.

Recently we have seen significant changes within

our group with Paul McKenna joining our Kildare

operation as Managing Director and Graham Wiblin

joining Polyco as General Manager; both bring with

them vast experience, drive and ambition that will

continue to push our business forward and I’m very

excited at what lies ahead.

The Kildare operation has completed the installation and commissioning of a new production line, allowing us to plan strategically for 2018 and beyond with confidence. On the assumption Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump kiss and make up, the only issue out of our control should be how Brexit will impact on our business and to that end we should be a little wiser (definitely older) by the end of the year; one thing is for sure – we will be working very hard behind the scenes to ensure we adopt, adapt and improve. Best regards,

Graham

A big warm welcome to the following people who have

joined us over the last couple of months;

Ryan Boyle – Production Astley, Process Worker

Max Boardman – Logistics Astley, Logistics

Apprentice

Kevan Hindley – Production Astley, Process Worker

Alex Russell – Production Astley, Trainee

Machinist/Tool Technician

Graham Wiblin – Polyco Newtown, General Manager

I am delighted to have joined the W Howard Group. I

bring with me forty years of experience in

manufacturing management originally in the motor

industry but for the last twenty-five years at Kronospan

LTD in North Wales where I held a variety of

management roles.

I have been immediately impressed

by the progressive nature of the

company in all areas and I am

thoroughly enjoying the change of

culture.

At the Polyco unit in Newtown we

have well maintained and flexible

production facilities supported by a small but excellent

team and I look forward to continuing the great work

done by John Clarke in taking the factory forward with

modern management techniques to fully maximise its

potential.

Outside of work my wife and I are renovating a 16th

century schoolhouse where we live with our Welsh

Sheepdog Hartson and two cats. I am a lifelong fan of

West Ham Utd which has taught me to overcome

disappointment and adversity on a regular basis! I am

also an active supporter of my local team Cefn Druids.

All in all I am sure there are exciting times ahead for

Polyco and the entire W Howard Group.

Welcome to our new-look Autumn 2017 Newsletter!

New starters – Welcome

Graham Wiblin – General Manager, Polyco Newtown

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Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

The timber trade federation (TTF) is the UK’s foremost membership body for the timber supply chain representing timber importers, merchants, agents and manufacturers and account for around two-thirds of the £10 billion UK timber industry. They offer technical, trade and sustainability advice alongside political and industry representation putting members and their businesses at the heart of the UK construction and industrial strategy.

The TTBS is the only UK charity dedicated to assisting the retired and less fortunate from the Timber industry and has been operating throughout the UK since 1897.

On Sunday 8th October, 3 members of the

TTF team ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon

on behalf of the Timber Trades Benevolent

Society (TTBS).

W Howard Group have been long-term and

committed supporters of both the TTF and

the TTBS. This year W Howard Group

sponsored T-shirts (pictured above) for the

TTF half-marathon, raising funds for the

TTBS.

MEASURE, MAKE & INSTALL

Eccleston Engineering has launched a Google AdWords campaign aimed at targeting new customers. Google AdWords elevates our website in the results pages of a Google search and provides statistics on website visitors and what attracts them to the site. AdWords also allows flexibility to tailor campaigns in response to those statistics to increase interest. So far this is proving very effective in securing new customers at Eccleston Engineering www.eccleston-engineering.co.uk

Sales Eccleston Engineering LLP

Logistics

All W Howard Ltd drivers including van and LDC drivers, are undergoing individual FORS e-learning to achieve FORS accreditation for the business. There are 6 courses to complete either at home or at work with self-guided learning. Each course takes 30-60mins in the form of observing footage then answering a series of related questions. The objective is to improve driver awareness and promote more economical and safer driving and is linked directly to FORS progression. All the drivers deserve recognition for positively embracing this challenge. Whilst Craig Cole was the first across the line to complete all 6 courses for the Astley depot and Ian Stitt for the LDC depot, most of the drivers have now successfully followed; and nearly all have now completed the 6 modules. Well done to all for their success. Managers and Supervisors are not exempt either from the training as they too have courses to complete; some identical to the driver’s course modules, and some Manager specific.

Issue 13 | Autumn 2017 Page 3

Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

Joe Rylance has recently completed the intensive NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety

and Health) course enabling him to take up the role of Group Health & Safety Coordinator (UK) at Astley and across

our UK sites. This represents a very significant opportunity for Joe as he works to underpin H&S as we continue to

grow as a Group.

W Howard Kildare are pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Smith to

lead the Safety compliance team at W Howard Kildare. Stephen has commenced his

NEBOSH training and will be developing and leading on H&S Strategies in conjunction

with Senior Management. Stephen has varied experience from previous roles in

addition to a good working knowledge of H&S process and procedures at Kildare.

Managers in Astley and Team Leaders in Kildare will all take part in our IOSH (Institute of Occupational Health and

Safety) ‘Managing safely’ course programme currently underway to provide a robust H&S function for the Group and

H&S support for the NEBOSH accredited roles.

Health and safety is also at the forefront at Eccleston Engineering LLP with a new target set to achieve

OHSAS18001 in the first half of next year. So far there has been a review of all operations and a new training and

equipment maintenance regime introduced. Our desire to achieve ISO9001 is moving ever closer with an

expectation to pass the stage 1 assessment during early 2018.

It is our objective as a business to achieve OHSAS18001 accreditation (Occupational Health and Safety

Assessment Series) across the group; this accreditation forms part of the ISO suite of accreditations. Our drive to

attain this OHSAS18001 forms part of our commitment to promoting health and well-being in the work place.

Ultimately it is our objective to introduce and maintain a significantly better culture of health and safety

awareness and responsibility to all employees.

H&S News

The Groups external sales team generate new leads, new sales, and show-case our range and newer products at well-established annual trade events.

Timber Expo 10-12th October - Birmingham NEC

Timber Expo as part of UK Construction week is designed as a timber-based show for merchants, specialist manufacturers and specifiers. W Howard Group has supported the exhibition annually for over 6 years. This year the stand was manned by Rob Povah, David McDonnell and Andy Minas over the 3-day event.

London Build 2017 25th and 26th October – Olympia London

2017 saw W Howard Group debut at the London Build exhibition which proved to be a busy show attracting contractors, housebuilders, architects and specifiers. Our busy stand was manned by Andy Minas and Phil Barnard over the two-day event. Focus was on our product display and the wide range of finishes on offer; specifically, our Kota product, wrapped, and fully-finished painted. The emphasis was on the wide range of options available plus quality and time saving benefits of using a fully-finished product.

Trade Exhibitions

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Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

We have recently invested heavily in a new MAKOR production line at our operation in Kildare; this replaces a single pass line and introduces significant additional capacity and commercial flexibility to the operation. For the first time since 2012, the Kildare site has seen significant inward investment and the site forms a key part of our business strategy for 2018 and beyond. Below is a panoramic photograph of the factory with the new line 1 to the fore

Below are before and after photos of equipment rebuilt by our skilled in-house maintenance team at Kildare. The team took great pride in renovating existing equipment for this project, giving them opportunity to demonstrate their skills and complete the project in the agreed timeframe. Special thanks go to Eddie, Alan, Colin and Brendan for their dedicated work on the project. Belt conveyor – Before Belt conveyor – After Rollers and Belt – Before Rollers and Belt – After

W Howard Kildare – Line Improvements

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Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

For over 10 years W Howard Limited has

sponsored the Plywood Trader of the Year

award at the annual TTJ Awards Luncheon that

takes place every September in London; this is a

prestigious trade event and is widely regarded as

the timber trade version of The Oscars (albeit

with significantly less glamour and even less

glitz) and one that our valued customers enjoy

attending.

Pictured above is Phil Barnard (Group Sales

Director) presenting the award to International

Plywood, Gloucester with guest speaker Steph

McGovern from BBC Business News.

Pictured top right is Steph McGovern and Craig

Bartlett

Pictured right is Jonathan Grant and investors

We would like to congratulate the following people

for their recent promotions;

Kevin Brandish – Logistics Astley, Materials

Control Manager

Joe Rylance – Production Astley, Group Health

& Safety Coordinator (UK)

Stefan Simm – Production Astley, Senior Line

Leader (AM shift) Kevin Brandish, Joe Rylance and Stefan Simm

TTJ Award Ceremony

Internal Appointments

The TTJ awards saw MDF Recovery win the most

Innovative Product Development Award. W Howard

has invested in this company who have invented a

process for taking offcuts of MDF, re-pulping them

and turning them back into fibre which can be used

again to make MDF. This creates a “Closed Loop”

supply chain which will eventually enable customers

to return MDF mouldings after use and have them

recycled. W Howard will also be able to recycle

offcuts from our factories, we will eventually be the

only manufactures of MDF Mouldings to have up to

a 25% recycled content in the MDF we use.

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Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

Birthdays

Thank you and well done to the following people

who have been awarded for their loyal service

Alan McQueen – Logistics, pictured above

with Gary Brown

Dean Bailey – Production, pictured above with

Paul Southern

We are now able to produce our quarterly

newsletter in-house. Please let us know of anything

you would like to feature at HR@whoward.co.uk

W Howard Group – Websites

www.whoward.eu

www.polycoltd.co.uk

www.eccleston-engineering.co.uk

www.kotamouldings.com

You can follow W Howard Group on Twitter;

@whowardlimited

@polycoltd

@ecclestoneeng

@kotamouldings

Join us at;

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/w-

howard-limited

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/W-Howard-

Limited/

Long Service awards

Happy birthday to the following

people who have all celebrated big

birthdays recently;

Chris Durnin (pictured left with

Paul McKenna) and Dave Scanlan

both from W Howard Kildare.

Philip Mawdsley (pictured right) –

Logistics Astley,

Tony Tansley – Production Astley

and Charlie Hodge – Logistics LDC

New Look Newsletter

Issue 13 | Autumn 2017 Page 7

Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

Employee recognition

Septembers fundraising event was the annual Macmillan Coffee morning and cake competition.

Our special-guests Barbara Grant and Carole Greensmith jointly judged the competition and stayed to

join us for coffee – and cake!

Michelle Bancroft hosted the Polyco Coffee morning and was even captured in a rare photograph of

herself with the Polyco team. Thank-you for all your contributions.

Totals raised were; Astley £139.70, Polyco £44.08, Eccleston Engineering £19.80, LDC £58.15 making

a Grand total of Total £261.73 – well done to all involved in making this event a great success!

Charity up-date

Well done to everyone being recognised for going that extra mile;

Michelle Bancroft – Polyco

Developing innovative and creative solutions to overcome raw material issues.

Rob Smith – Logistics Consistently exceeding driving score targets and being responsible for zero incidents/complaints during the last quarter. Charlie Hodge – LDC Progressing well since his recent employment, also contributing positively to the team in a relatively short space of time. Pavel Stupka – Unit 4 Showing flexibility and leading the PM shift sucessfully and confidently. John Critchley – Office Being proactive and taking on new challenges; maintaining relationships with external PR companies to promote the business and products via it’s web-sites and social media.

During Novembers briefings you will be given the opportunity to nominate a charity and event to raise funds for during 2018, and also nominate a local community group to receive a £500 grant on behalf of W Howard Group.

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Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

Jonathan invites everyone

to join him at

The Old Boathouse, Astley

to raise a glass as we close for

Christmas on

Friday 22nd December.

Please make it a date – further details to

follow.

Christmas Social Events

Pantomime

Another successful uptake for this year’s pantomime

Dick Whittington staring John Barrowman and the

Krankies.

Thirty-three employees and families will attend in

Manchester. Other sites will attend an alternative

performance.

Tickets will be issued the week you are due to attend.

We hope you enjoy yourselves; please email your

Panto pics to; WHSocial@whoward.co.uk

Issue 13 | Autumn 2017 Page 9

Autumn 2017 | ISSUE 13

Getting to know you Stephen Smith – WH Kildare

Getting to know you

Jack Weaver – WHL Astley

Age – My odometer reads

15437 days…. May have

been clocked though

Job Title – Production

Co-ordinator

Married/Single/Any

Children? Married

How long have you

worked for the W Howard

Group? 10 Months

Where did you work prior

to the W Howard Group? Balcas Kildare

What kind of music do you like? Most types,

tend to lean more towards classic rock & metal

though

What was your very first album? Masters of

reality by Black Sabbath

Do you have any pets? Yes, a German

Shepard dog

If you were sent to the jungle what 3 items

would you take with you? Local guide, water

purifying tablets and a machete

What would be your dream car? Audi R8

V10+

If you could have dinner with any celebrity

dead or alive who would it be and why? Bill

Shankly or Dave Grohl, purely for their stories

alone

What is your most memorable moment?

There’s so many, hard to pick just one

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Not sure I have one….

Do you have any party tricks (please keep it

clean) – Definitely don’t have one!

Describe yourself in 3 words – Honest, reliable

& stubborn

What is the best thing about working at the W

Howard Group? Time will tell, still quite early

Who do you nominate to do the next getting

to know you? Anthony Casey

Age – 24 years old

Job Title – Estimator

Married/Single/Any

Children? Taken, and no

How long have you

worked for the W Howard

Group? Coming up to 3

years now

Where did you work prior

to W Howard Group?

I worked in a prison as a prison officer for a year

What kind of music do you like? I like anything in

general, mainly charts and rap

What was your very first album? All Eyez on Me

by Tupac

Do you have any pets? Yes a boxer dog (Buster) a

rescue rabbit (Albert), a cat (Audrey) and a few fish

If you were sent to the jungle what 3 items would

you take with you? A big machete, a bed and my

phone with unlimited battery

What would be your dream car? Mercedes G-

Wagon

If you could have dinner with any celebrity dead

or alive who would it be and why?

Steve Jobs

What is your most memorable moment? Probably

saving someone’s life on a night out

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Washing my white rugby shorts and socks with a red

blanket and having to play in pink that day

Do you have any party tricks (please keep it

clean) – Not sure if I have one but I can definitely

drink a pint quicker than Danny Cowley

Describe yourself in 3 words – Hardworking,

trustworthy and motivated

What is the best thing about working at the W

Howard Group? The best thing is being given the

chance to progress

Who do you nominate to do the next getting to

know you? – Nick Woods