3rd January 2012
The strength of the Top Tubes Laser Department has been increased with the addition of three new members of staff.
Luke Strong, Laser Products Sales Manager
After almost 20 years in the tube industry, Luke Strong has acquired a wide knowledge of mild steel products. Having worked for both stockists and manufacturers he feels particularly at home at Top Tubes as the company is active in both capacities.
The high proportion of bespoke laser work at Top Tubes means Luke rarely has a quiet moment, “Now that there’s extra manpower in the department the aim is to get back to the customer with a quote by the end of the day”, says Luke “or even, if possible, within a couple of hours”. “What helps is having a good deal of the tube feedstock manufactured in-house at Top Tubes.”
“Some potential customers are still using old-fashioned methods to achieve what our laser capabilities can achieve in a fraction of the time and to a much higher standard”, says Luke. “It’s part of my role to go out and open their eyes to the benefits of laser technology”.
After six months at Top Tubes Luke feels happily settled. “It’s an exciting company to work for”, he says, “I like the close-knit atmosphere and the feeling that we’re all focussed on the company’s success”.
Sharon Evans, Sales and Production Administrator
Five years ago Sharon Evans decided to have a change of career path. After a long-time background in the public sector she switched to the tube industry where she found the work ethic very different. “The tube industry is much more challenging than my old job in a local authority education department’, says Sharon. “But whilst there is a lot more pressure to meet deadlines”, she says, “it’s also very satisfying when you do a good job and get it right”.
Sharon has now clocked up four years of experience in the specialist laser tube cutting sector, the last six months of that in the Top Tubes laser department, where she’s responsible for preparing quotations, order processing and administration support. She cites her excellent memory as one of the reasons she’s coped so well with her career change. “When you work for a company like Top Tubes you feel more responsible for the company’s success. I feel very optimistic indeed for the future.”
Sanchez Dillon, CAD Engineer
Sanchez joined the Top Tubes laser department four months ago after studying for four years at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he gained a degree in product design.
Like most young men, Sanchez is into cars, so the fact that his job’s focus at Top Tubes is on the automotive sector is particularly appropriate. “Getting to do work in an area that you’re interested in anyway gives you an extra buzz of enthusiasm”, says Sanchez.
His day to day role is both challenging and stimulating, he says, with a high degree of responsibility, involving as it does the devising of design solutions following receipt of an enquiry, costing those solutions and then drawing them up prior to test-fabrication. A particular expertise in FMEA procedures provides Sanchez with the added capability of producing the all-important quality sample reports following fabrication.