Welcome from:
Mike Morgan Executive
Director
In this issue:
» Recent Promotions
» Employee of the Month
» Long Service Awards
» Local Fundraising
» Company Summer BBQs
» Furry friends at ADS
» Wedding Congratulations
» Birth Announcements
» Happy Retirement & Happy Birthday to...
Since the last issue of Vision newsletter, we have been busy launching the TDV6 and TDV8 remanufactured engine ranges, which were signed off by JLR in July.
The launch of TDV6/8 really shows the strength in depth we have at Autocraft Solutions Group. With fixtures and special purpose machinery designed at ADS and manufactured by Vertex in Birmingham, cylinder heads and blocks machined at AMS in Wellingborough, and the assembly and test of the engines at ADS in Grantham, this vertical integration is the key to Autocraft’s success. By controlling all the critical processes we provide the customer with a very cost-effective, OEM quality product.
Thank you to everyone involved in these projects, we recognise it hasn’t been the easiest of launches but we can all be extremely proud of what we have achieved. Autocraft’s world-leading production processes, including our in-house designed ARIA® (Augmented Reality Interactive Assembly) systems, we believe produce the highest quality engines in the world.
Autocraft EV Solutions in Arnhem is ploughing along at full speed, with new recruits coming on board to increase the EV battery remanufacturing capacity as demand grows. We are identifying European sites to expand further, likely to be in the Oslo and Munich areas, where we will store packs in a ‘hub and spoke’ system. This reduces transport costs by grouping packs onto larger lorries between
the spokes and hub at Arnhem. Transport of packs is crucial to the business case for EV battery remanufacturing, and we are looking at all options of how we grow AEVS quickly but sustainably.
AstonMartinV12Vanquishprototypespottedatthe NurburgringinGermany
After a short pause in production due to significant upgrades, V12 engine assembly is back on-track at AMS. Aston Martin recently teased the public with the launch of the V12 Vanquish which received an incredibly positive response, not only due to its 824bhp and 738lb ft of torque, which are substantial increases over the standard DBS. According to Aston Martin, their new flagship Grand Tourer will be the “dawn of a new V12 era”.
something to shout about? Let us know! Send your article & photos to Lindsay Morgan - lmorgan@autocraftsg.com
Welcome to:
Paul Proctor
Setter/Programmer at Vertex
ADS
Alice Hayward
Junior Buyer
Joanne Cosgrove
Stores Cell Leader
Rosy Wire
Senior Materials Controller
Thomas Pike
Senior Production Operative
AMS
Beres Edmonds
Quality Engineer
Debbie Jarvis
CMM Supervisor
Mark Nicklin
Supplier Development & Quality Engineer
Paulina Dub
Interim Senior Buyer
Simon Crowley
Data Analyst
Sunny Mathangi
Quality Engineer
Congratulations and good luck in your new roles!
This year has seen the re-introduction of our ‘Employee of the Month’ awards. This is an employee-led initiative, giving you the opportunity to recognise your fellow colleagues that you believe have gone ‘above and beyond’.
Make sure you put in your nominations before the end of each month!
Congratulations to our winners, who all received a £50 award, paid directly into their bank account.
ADS:
February 2024: Morgan Charles
March 2024: Tito Resende
June 2024: Rosy Wire
AMS:
January 2024: Lynn Barker
February 2024: Mikey Martin
RosyandMorganreceivetheirawards
March 2024: Roie Pappachan
April 2024: Sorin Bot
May 2024: Juan Steyn, Andrei Danieluc
June 2024: Sylwia Terlecka, Shirley Barker, Perry Chambers-Clark, Simon Crowley
July 2024: Jake Wright (Vertex)
5 Years
Tara Coombs – Production Operative
Kevin Warrener – Conformance Engineer
Abbi-Gale Marshall – Cleaner
Derek Burrell – Conformance Engineer
10 Years
Kevin Money – Quality Control
Paul Jones – Production Operative
20 Years
Andrew Kirkpatrick – Production Operative
Congratulations to all our Long Service Award recipients!
30 Years
Kevin Eveleigh – Cell Leader
Andy Widdowson – Production Operative
40 Years
John Pearce – Ops Process Engineer
As part of a branding update, we will be launching a new suite of PowerPoint templates, and Word Templates including Company Letterheads, Agendas and Minutes.
We will communicate soon when these are ready for download from the Y drive.
The Events Committee at ADS Grantham, headed up by Vonnie Ewing, recently held a Darts & Pool fundraising evening. The proceeds of £274.80 from the event were donated to the Emerald Chemo Suite at Grantham Hospital. The Committee has raised a total of £439 this year for the Suite.
George Ewing won the Pool Competition with John Lane runner-up. Ayrton Harte triumphed in the Darts, with Nick Dawson runner-up. Well done to everyone who took part!
Vonnie visited the Chemo Suite to present the cheque, and this was followed up by a letter of thanks from the hospital. Katy Williams, Deputy Sister from the Emerald Suite wrote: “We hope you had a lovely night raising the funds and are extremely grateful for your support.
The money will go towards helping more local people who use the facilities in their local hospital; bringing care closer to patients when undergoing cancer treatment.”
Keep your eyes peeled at ADS for more events including the Christmas party!
Events Committees at both ADS in Grantham and AMS in Wellingborough arranged our traditional Summer Family BBQs to celebrate the start of the summer shutdown.
Staff and their families were in attendance, and made good use of the inflatable games, stocks and activities. Hog roasts were held at both sites, with music entertainment and face painting. At ADS, the Works Committee raised £83 by sponging the Management team in the stocks, and the money was donated to the Grantham Disabled Children’s Society.
Thanks to everyone who helped with
the organisation of these very enjoyable afternoons.
We are in the process of updating our company policies and forms. Many are now available on our website at AutocraftSG.com/policies The company handbook remains valid only for policies not yet uploaded to the website.
If you cannot find the policy or form you are looking for, please contact HR.
As part of Autocraft’s commitment to supporting its local communities, we have recently sponsored 2 local sports teams in the Wellingborough area. Chris Mills (AML Build Room Team Leader at AMS) runs the U10s and U16s at Wellingborough OGs Youth Football Club. Chris approached our HR department for sponsorship for the U16s new kit, and filled out the Charitable Giving application forms on the Policies area on the company website. His application was approved by HR, and new kit is currently on order!
Autocraft were also delighted to continue to sponsor Wellingborough RFC U15s. Team Managers Paul and Hayley Spencer-Clark invited the team to AMS for a factory tour and this gave them the opportunity to show off the new shirts which were urgently needed for some of the lads who are growing at quite a rate! Our sponsorship is also funding 5 warm lined waterproof jackets for the subs on match days.
If you are involved with local sports clubs or community initiatives and would like to like to explore potential sponsorship opportunities, please speak with your site HR representative, and as Chris, Hayley and Paul have done, fill out the forms and submit your application!
Please be aware that there is a budget allocated for sponsorship each year, and ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’, so get in quickly to apply for your local club!
In July, ADS bottom shop was visited by a furry friend, who was looking for lots of fuss, but clearly lost! The local vets found that the cat was microchipped.
Kitten “Trinxy” lives by the train station in Grantham, so she was quite far from home. She had been missing for 10 days, and was returned safe and well to her very grateful owner.
Many thanks to James Foster, Adam Brown and Kev Warrener for looking after our feline friend. If you see a cat on site looking for attention, they may be a pet that is lost.
And at the end of July we were made aware of some kittens in our core yard at Grantham. Adam Brown and his colleagues contacted the local Cats Protection League to provide us with traps to catch them.
All 3 kittens were successfully caught and have all now been adopted by one of our employees, Steven Drew.
Chris Rogers, Key Account Manager for ADS, who retired in November 2023 after 6 years with Autocraft.
Chris was presented with a retirement gift and cake by Mike Hague-Morgan. In his early career, Mike worked for Chris in the West Midlands forging industry, manufacturing ring gears. We wish Chris a long and happy retirement, and we hope to keep updated with photos of his Tuk-Tuk and his famous home brew!
Emilia
Bruno Silva & Marta
Charlie
Ellie Parker & Nick
Brodie
Shaun Marriott & Gemma
Charlie
Richard Taylor & Rachel
Many congratulations to our new parents!
Kristian Jones AML Test Engineer at AMS, who married Rosa on 29th May in Sorrento, Italy.
Ross Williams Group IT Technician at AMS, who married Lauren on 6th July at the Stanwick Hotel in Wellingborough.
Peter Collinge, our Group HSE Manager who turned 70 years young in June. Peter was presented with a seriously chocolately cake baked by Lynn Boxall.
