“ Success is all about people and our staff have been exemplary .”
– Rufus Ayre
Husqvarna is now recruiting for maintenance technicians and engineering apprentices to support both existing and future technological improvements and advances in manufacturing facilities .
Assembly production manager , Tony Day , is quick to join Rufus in paying tribute to the dedication of the workforce during that difficult time .
“ Success is all about people and our staff have been exemplary ,” says Tony , a Hartlepool lad , who started as an engineer back in the old Flymo days , and spent 14 years in the automotive industry before returning to the plant after Husqvarna took over .
“ To work on a production line with a mask on all day is very difficult , but the workforce were worldclass in the way they rose to every challenge – I couldn ’ t be prouder of them ,” adds Tony .
Like every major business , the plant had to undergo a swift reorganisation when Covid-19 struck , with social distancing established , along with one-way systems , screens , and numerous hand sanitisation stations .
Team numbers were reduced , facemasks made compulsory , Covid marshals appointed , cameras installed to monitor temperatures , vending machines switched off , and kettles and microwaves withdrawn to minimise the risk of infection .
Despite it all , the quality of the wide range of products remained excellent , and the business has emerged from a year of global challenge in good shape .
Tony also acknowledges the importance of the departments that support manufacturing , including : human resources ; the moulding section that provides all the plastic parts ; engineering and maintenance ; quality control ; product support ; and logistics .
The company ’ s partnership with GEM Partnership has also proved crucial . The Peterlee company provides bespoke training and apprenticeships for its clients , and Tony says : “ GEM were absolutely fantastic last year – we couldn ’ t have managed as well as we did without their support .”
18 | Aycliffe Business