Telford based Transicon Ltd, a family run manufacturer of AC Drives, DC Drives, Servo Drives, PLC and SCADA control systems has become the latest firm to join the Birmingham based manufacturing network; the Made in Group. The firm has a proud manufacturing heritage over the last 55 years, building a strong reputation for quality and service and are already working with a number of Made in Group members. Transicon have a strong family run theme running through the business with three members of the Blake family working in the day to day operations, including two on the board; Managing Director Paul Blake and his daughter, Jennifer, Financial Director which gives the firm a sound footing for the future with a strong management team overseeing the next phase of Transicon’s growth journey.
“We’ve been supporting manufacturing in the region since 1967” comments Jennifer Hughes, who is now running the firm’s day to day operations in her capacity as FD. “We have been watching the Made in Group for a while and strongly support its values and mission to drive forward UK manufacturing; it's time to be part of that community and no longer an observer.”
Jennifer is busy expanding the firm’s apprenticeship programme and has spent the last two weeks meeting candidates who are keen to make their mark in the sector.
“Apprenticeships are the lifeblood of the manufacturing community and absolutely its future, our hiring strategy going forward to compliment our fine staff retention record is to grow and develop our own talent. What we can offer is a high quality, practical vocation, an exciting and challenging career with quality technology and the opportunity to work with our world class customers” continues Jennifer.
As the birthplace of the industrial revolution and one of Britain’s fastest growing new towns Telford, with its plethora of world class firms, has a tremendous opportunity to return some of its proud former production glory; yet the sector continues, as is seen across the UK, to struggle to attract more women into the sector, something that Director Jennifer Hughes is all too aware as one of the few female Directors of an SME manufacturer in the region:
“It doesn’t make sense, considering the skills gap that is well reported in manufacturing, for firms to continue to appeal only to a small percentage of their potential workforce in the local area. Manufacturers must do more to challenge this unconscious bias that might deter a young female in the area from considering a career in the sector. That’s why I look forward to using the employer branding toolkit and exciting Omni-Channel tools in the Made in Group such as the Virtual Reality factory tour and our all year round digital exhibition stand to reach a new audience of tech savvy young people in the area.”
Made in the Midlands Director Charles Addison added; “It’s with great pride that we are able to welcome Transicon Ltd into the Made in Group, they are a tremendous business that are doing all of the right things we feel firms need to be doing to ensure their future growth; strong succession planning, a defined apprenticeship programme, embracing modern technology and we intend to help them shout more about what they do. ‘Profile’ can mean so many things to a business but we contend that the more visible, the more active, the more informed and the more vocal a firm is in their sector; the more opportunities become available to them for ideas, talent, collaboration and most importantly, curiosity of what is coming around the corner so we can’t wait to get working with Jennifer and her team.”