H+H is delighted to announce the appointment of Phil Ball as Operations Director, taking control of the company’s three manufacturing plants in Kent and Yorkshire.
Having recently completed a two-year investment in our factories, the equipment and facilities are the most up to date in Europe. “We are now ready to focus all of our attention on maximising the return from that investment” observes MD Calum Forsyth. “We have done the mechanical part, now is the time to focus on perfecting the processes in order to meet ambitious output targets”.
Phil Ball joins H+H with twenty-five years of experience in UK manufacturing, most recently with Finnish timber company Metsawood and previously with Kodak, Agfa Graphics and DuPont.
He summarises his approach as being “shopfloor centric”. “Equipment and automation are important, of course, but the heart of any business is its people: its customers and its staff. Put the people first, design the processes that make it as easy as possible for them to do their job and the results can be truly dramatic.”
Outside of his working day Phil is equally dedicated to developing the potential of young people in technical occupations and has been Director and Chairman of University Technical College in Leeds since 2013, overseeing the development and construction of this specialist secondary school.
“Manufacturing in the UK is essential – both economically and socially” he declares. It’s vital that we develop the technical skills of our young people to keep pace with the speed of change.”
A Yorkshireman at heart, Phil will be dividing his time equally between the H+H Borough Green headquarters and the factories in Pollington. His responsibilities cover Operations, Procurement and Health and Safety, with a clear brief to focus on increasing production volume.
With his appointment effective from 2 September, Phil has already spent time with the company, establishing his immediate priorities. “What really drew me to the company is its people. There are great people here and I particularly noticed the number of long-serving staff and long-standing customer relationships. Stability like this indicates a well-managed organisation with integrity and that fits with my personal outlook.”