News

KEEP ON RUNNING!

When Carl Thomas took up running a couple of years ago as a way of keeping fit, he set himself several goals and completing a half marathon was one of them. He can now tick that off his list!

Carl is one of our electrical engineers and his latest, and biggest, running achievement to date is finishing the Great North Run in just 2 hours 12 seconds.

Explains Carl: “When I got to the start line I couldn’t believe how many people were competing – 57,000 in total so it was no wonder it took me 25 minutes just to get over the start line!

“I was really lucky with the weather – the sun was shining and it was probably a bit to warm to be honest but I can’t complain. There was a great atmosphere for the whole 13.1 miles and I’d recommend the race to anyone, either as a participant or a spectator.”

Not one to sit around, Carl’s now planning his next challenge. “I’ll definitely do more half marathons over the next few years and, one day, I’d love to run the Boston Marathon “, says Carl. “It’s the most historic marathon and I got married in Boston so it’s a place that means a lot to me.”

So, watch this space and, if you see Carl out training on the streets on Grimsby or York, give him a shout of encouragement!

GRADUATE PROCESS ENGINEER GOES BACK TO SCHOOL

Joe Howell, graduate process engineer with Technica, has been invited back to his secondary school, John Spendluffe Technology College in Alford, to present students with prizes at their annual awards ceremony.

Steve Beverley, head teacher at the school contacted Joe via social networking site, Linkedin, after noticing he had graduated and was working for the Grimsby-based engineering firm.

Explains Joe: “It was a real honour to hand out the awards and recognise the students’ achievements. I really enjoyed my time at school; it gave me an excellent academic grounding and enabled me to embark on my degree.

“If I can inspire the current pupils to work hard at school and show them they can be whatever they want to be if they put their minds to it, I’ll be happy. I’m sure I met some budding future engineers while I was handing out prizes!”

Commenting on Joe’s attendance at the awards evening, head teacher, Steve Beverley, said: “His talk was fantastic; inspiring and interesting, exactly what we had hoped for and I know the audience really enjoyed Joe’s comments, as did I.”

Concludes Bryan Creed, technical director at Technica: “We’re all about encouraging young talent and supporting more and more youngsters to study subjects such as maths, chemistry and physics with a view to pursuing a career in engineering.

“Joe is a great ambassador for Technica as he’s really passionate about what he does – his enthusiasm for the job is clear to see. We actually expected him to recruit some youngsters following the award ceremony!”

ON ‘YER BIKE!

Our project engineer, Andy Hawkins, and three friends have raised £1,111 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society after taking to their mountain bikes and riding 180 miles ‘Coast to Coast’.

The ‘Uphill Strugglers’ embarked on their epic fundraising journey after challenging each other over a few pints in their local pub. The team set off from Crosby beach in Liverpool on 2nd May and arrived in Cleethorpes 72 hours, and several tubs of Sudocrem, later.

Explains Andy: “There was pain and laughter along the way, arguments and broken bikes coupled with great views, priceless moments and, I have to admit, a couple of wrong turns, but we made it. It was a fantastic experience and has resulted in me signing up for the Great North Swim again this month.

“I’d like to thank all of my colleagues, suppliers and clients for their generous donations and support, all of which made the pain worthwhile. Who knows, maybe we’ll tackle Land’s End to John O’Groats next year?!”

AND THE WINNER IS…

…Technica!

We were delighted to win the Barclays International Trade Award at this year’s North Lincolnshire Business Awards.

John and Bryan joined over 300 local business people and entrepreneurs at the awards dinner hosted by TV presenter and broadcaster, Helen Fospero, at Grimsby Auditorium on 17th May.

Commenting on the win, managing director John Davison said: “I couldn’t believe it when they read out Technica! Once I’d got over the shock, I was immensely proud that the team’s hard work over the last ten years had been recognised in front of so many people – it’s a real honour for the business.

“We were up against tough competition in the shape of Ramsden International and Teemans so we knew we must’ve really impressed the judging panel. International trade is a massive part of the business and it’s something we will continue to push and grow.

“To do this we need to increase our existing workforce and attract new recruits to join the fantastic team we already have here. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today so I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of them for their hard work and commitment over the years.”

Great news – we’ve been shortlisted in this year’s Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards!

All nominees were chosen by three teams of judges, with decisions made by a majority decision – we’re up against Ramsden International and Teemans in the International Trade category.

John Davison, managing director, commented: “Just to be on the shortlist is a fantastic achievement. I’m really proud of everyone here as the nomination is testament to their continued hard work and commitment to Technica and enhancing the reputation of the business across the globe.”

The Business Awards will take place at Grimsby Auditorium on Friday 16th May 2014.

Senior engineer teams up with trainee to pass on skills and knowledge

A trainee engineer at Technica, has teamed up with an engineer 42 years his senior to learn new skills and tap into the knowledge of a true expert.

Jack Browning, 22, joined Technica three years ago as an apprentice electrical engineer. Jack had already completed his ‘A’ levels in Physics, Maths and Geography but decided against heading off to University when Bryan Creed, technical director at Technica offered him an apprenticeship.

Explains Jack: “I’d never contemplated an apprenticeship but from day one at the Humberside Engineering Training Association, I knew I’d made the right decision. Hands-on learning was totally different to academic education but I loved it.”

Three years later and Jack has completed Levels 2 and 3 of a City & Guilds qualification in Electrical Instrumentation and has now embarked on an HNC in Electrical Engineering, fully supported by Technica.

Continues Jack: “I’ve spent the last three years ‘on the tools’ in the workshop and out on site but now I’m in the office working in a junior designer role alongside senior electrical engineer, Richard Fitzgeorge.”

“Richard’s been with Technica for four years and has worked in the industry since the 1970s – he finished his apprenticeship back in 1971. There’s nothing he doesn’t know about electrical engineering – he has stacks of knowledge – and he’s a great teacher, I’ve already learnt so much from him.”

“He’s really patient and I get to go with him to meetings and site visits. It’s a whole new challenge for me and I can see what we have to do to design projects before they’re installed, all the calculations required and project management. It’s totally different to being in the workshop and I appreciate the entire process much more now as I am experiencing all the work that goes on before a job can even start.”

Adds Richard: “It’s so important to pass on knowledge and skills to young engineers and Technica shares this forward-thinking approach to learning. I’ve worked with apprentices throughout my career and, as well as teaching them how and why we do things, I learn from them too.”

“Jack is no exception and it’s a pleasure to mentor him. He makes mistakes but he learns from them and that’s vital. We’re currently working on a very big project that requires multiple site visits and client meetings, so he’ll have lots of opportunities to have his say and learn even more new skills from the experience – he’s an engineer of the future and a real asset to Technica.”

MEASURED AND CONTROLLED AT ANNUAL DINNER

For the last three years we’ve attended the Institute of Measurement & Control’s Annual Dinner and this year was no exception.

20 guests and Technica employees including technical director, Bryan Creed, attended the event held at the Humber Royal. The dinner provides the perfect opportunity to catch up with other local engineering professionals in a relaxed atmosphere.

Explains Technica’s SHEQ manager, Mike Clarke: “We’ve always been very supportive of the Institute and attending the dinner really helps to raise its profile in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

“It’s a great networking event and we always see lots of familiar faces. We also have the chance to talk about recruitment opportunities within the business and hear about different projects our peers are working on.”

Founded in 1944 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1975, the Institute of Measurement and Control is committed to promoting the professional excellence of engineers and technologists at all levels in the automation, instrumentation, control and related industries.
Its aims are to advance the science and practice of measurement and control technologies and their various applications, to foster the exchange of views and the communication of knowledge and ideas in these activities, and to promote the professional qualification and standing of its members.

Technica scoop The Humber Challenge Cup.

A football match between Grimsby engineering firm, Technica and civil & marine engineers, GGP Consult in Hull, has raised £500 for The Artie White Foundation.

The aptly named ‘Humber Challenge Cup’ was created by Technica’s technical director, Bryan Creed, after GGP Consult’s managing director, Jim Gabbitas, threw down the sporting gauntlet late in 2013.

Explains Bryan: “We’ve been working together with GGP Consult on various national and international projects for several years and football is always one of the topics on the agenda.”

“So, we came up with the idea of the Humber Challenge Cup and started regular training to make sure we’d win the game – the South Bank versus the North Bank! We even had a special cup made to give both teams something extra to play for.”

The match took place at a wind-swept Brigg Town FC and, whilst being good spirited, was definitely competitive. Top scorer was Technica’s Sam Smith and after just 20 minutes, Technica were 4-0 up. At full time, team Technica were clear winners with the final score 10-3.

Concludes Bryan: “We had a great time and donated £500 for The Artie White Foundation, a charity that supports worthy causes in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes area. Dave Boylen, ex-Grimsby Town Captain, club legend and materials & facilities co-ordinator here at Technica accepted the cheque on behalf of the charity.”

The return game is planned for 30th April at Brigg Town FC with Technica hoping to retain the Humber Challenge Cup that now has pride of place on the firm’s reception.

Technica support their first female mechanical engineer.

Grimsby girl, Beth Thomson, is embarking on a new career in mechanical engineering thanks to her employers local engineering firm Technica.

Beth, 24, worked for Technica when she finished college but left the firm after gaining a place at The University of Lincoln to study forensic science.

Explains Beth: “I was sad to leave Technica – I really loved my job but it was my dream to study forensic science. The directors, John Davison and Bryan Creed, had asked me if I wanted to study mechanical engineering in 2009 as they saw my potential in the discipline. They’d planted a seed and the idea of mechanical engineering was never out of my mind all through university.”

“Three years later I had my degree but found it impossible to get a role in that field. I was lucky to then get back in at Technica and immediately approached John and Bryan to see if the mechanical engineering opportunity was still available.”

“I’m now studying for an HNC in Mechanical Engineering at the Grimsby Institute, fully supported by Technica. I love maths so it’s the ideal subject for me – I can apply my mathematical skills to real life situations and eventually be part of a team that actually makes something. It’s really exciting.”

Beth now spends one day a week at college and four days working directly alongside a team of qualified mechanical engineers led by Dave Bennett. Two other Technica employees are also studying the discipline and benefitting from on-the-job learning from their peers.

Adds Bryan Creed, technical director at Technica: “It’s great to have Beth back on board and studying a subject she has a definite talent for. She’s motivated and a quick learner – an inspiration to other women wanting to pursue a career in the predominantly male-dominated engineering industry. We firmly believe in investing both time and money in ensuring our people achieve their full potential, especially our younger members of staff.”

Concludes Beth: “I can’t thank Bryan and John enough for giving me a second opportunity. I have the chance to get involved in client meetings, work on live projects and learn from some of the best people in the industry – Technica is a great place to work.”