PEOPLE WATCH
Metal stars at CBM Awards
Leading stars of the UK’ s metal industry were recognised recently at the Confederation of British Metalforming awards, with a Gloucestershire-based manufacturer of vehicle structures for the automotive sector securing the main award.
“ G-TEM, which works with many of the major carmakers, was named as the CBM’ s‘ Company of the Year’ at our gala dinner held at The Council House in Birmingham. Judges praised the business for its significant growth, clear commitment to upskilling, innovation and for playing a critical role in retaining high level auto work within the UK,” said the CBM.
“ More than 200 industry leaders also saw Sertec Group claim the‘ HSE Initiative of the Year’ for‘ It’ s all about the people’ campaign that has reduced accidents on-site by 43 %, whilst metal pressing specialist Brandauer took the‘ Energy Efficiency’ title for its factory re-organisation that has seen it cut its carbon footprint, boost productivity by 26 % and achieve savings of £ 300,000,” continued the Confederation of British Metalforming.
This year saw the introduction of the‘ Employee Engagement Award’, with Steel & Alloy Gonvarri Industries winning the inaugural accolade. The steel and aluminium processing specialist demonstrated an understanding of employment issues and barriers, implementing a collective approach for improvement and delivering a‘ growth’ culture for the company and its workforce.
The next generation of metal experts were also celebrated at the CBM Awards, with James Pugh taking home the‘ Apprentice of the Year Award’ for 2025. Working as a process improvement engineer at Sertec Group, he has made a wide variety of contributions to the business as well as redefining best practices within his sector.
This has included adopting smart manufacturing technologies, introducing new processes and implementing technical improvements that have reduced customer
L-R: Darren Wilding( G-TEM), Vicky Reynolds( Steel & Alloy Gonvarri Industries), Rowan Crozier( Brandauer), James Pugh and Colin Bennett( both at Sertec Group).
complaints by more than half, according to the CBM. Going forward, James has plans in place to earn his Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with a view to moving into a leadership role.
The CBM represents the interests of more than 200 UK manufacturers of fasteners, forgings, pressings, cold rolled and sheetmetal products. Its awards were sponsored by Crowe UK, Greenfields Energy Group, In-Comm Training, JLR and Enginuity. n
www
. thecbm. co. uk
AMRC appoints interim CTO
Andy Silcox has been appointed as the new interim chief technology officer( CTO) for the University of Sheffield’ s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre( AMRC) in the UK. Silcox, who previously held the role of AMRC Cymru research director, started his new position on 10 March 2025 and will be responsible for setting the research direction and implementing the strategic research and technology vision. This appointment follows Professor Ben Morgan, former AMRC research director and chief technology officer, becoming the new interim chief executive officer in January 2025. Ben welcomed the appointment of Andy, who has been a senior figure in the AMRC family for more than five years.
Andy Silcox.
“ Andy has a proven track record of working in the innovation space across the High Value Manufacturing( HVM) Catapult network and industry. He has played a pivotal role in the success of AMRC Cymru by co-creating the centre in Broughton, North Wales, overseeing its immediate transition into a production base for life-saving ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic, through to its work de-risking technology and supporting Welsh businesses on their digital and sustainable manufacturing journeys,” commented Morgan.
“ I personally believe it is a time of unparalleled opportunity for the UK manufacturing sector, with the transition to clean energy and the development of nuclear, hydrogen, wind and tidal solutions, the exploitation of artificial intelligence throughout the product lifecycle and the need to significantly grow the UK’ s adoption of intelligent and dexterous robotic solutions. My aim is to ensure that the AMRC is fit to be able to help UK manufacturers exploit these opportunities, maintaining our position as the‘ go-to’ place for industrial research,” added Andy Silcox.
Andy Silcox has worked in manufacturing research since 2003, firstly with KUKA Systems and( from 2011 to 2018) as a chief engineer with the Manufacturing Technology Centre, which is also a member of the HVM Catapult. Since 2019, Andy has held his director role at AMRC Cymru, responsible for the overall strategy of the centre and the technical delivery of its diverse project portfolio. He is also the AMRC representative on the HVM Catapult offshore wind strategy team, and will retain this position, as well as his position representing AMRC Cymru on the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone’ s shadow board. n
www. amrc. co. uk
Jake Brown.
Brown steps up at Hypertherm
Hypertherm Associates, a U. S.-based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, has appointed Jake Brown, previously Vice President for the Americas Region, as Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing.
Brown will oversee all sales, marketing and service strategy and execution for the global enterprise. In addition, as a member of the Executive Management Team, he will contribute to the strategic leadership and direction of the organisation, as a whole.
Founded in 1968, Hypertherm Associates is a 100-per-cent, Associate-owned company, employing approximately 2,000 Associates, with operations and partner representation worldwide. n
www
. Hypertherm Associates. com
12 | ismr. net | ISMR May 2025