You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Top Tubes Newsletter DECEMBER 2018 EDITION View in browser Go to Top Tubes website Welcome to this edition of In Touch with Tube, the news bulletin which brings you information about new developments at Top Tubes and in steel tube technology In this edition: • New financial director » • Fin cut tube » • Promotions in ERW » • Additions to delivery fleet » Financial director first marks new milestone Understanding the synergy between management, sales and production: Financial Director April Pearson-Myatt. Meet Top Tubes' new - as well as our very first - Financial Director. April Pearson-Myatt was appointed to the newly-created post in early November and has already engendered a fresh climate of positivity. Having a passionate enthusiasm for manufacturing industry, April is keen to make it known that she doesn’t intend to limit herself just to financial matters. "I believe that part of my role", says April, "is understanding the synergy between management, sales and production and developing it". "I don’t think that the financial role should be isolated from wider business activities and I look forward to being fully involved in helping to mould Top Tubes' future strategy". April is particularly keen to help Top Tubes exploit value added products; "Magnatube's environmental credentials, for instance, are considerable", says April, "and should be emphasized". Top Tubes MD Adam Bradley said: "We are delighted that April has joined us. She brings both a passion and a professionalism in her approach not just to the financial role but to business operations as a whole". "Her wide-ranging experience of manufacturing industry, from curtain rail manufacturer Swish to aero tyres producer Dunlop Aviation, including four previous Financial Director posts, is sure to prove invaluable in her role here at Top Tubes." Just as in her business life, April's spare time activities are many and varied. She is a keen golfer, which satisfies her competitive streak, and a fitness enthusiast. On a more intellectual level April is an art lover and enjoys visiting art exhibitions and galleries. "As Top Tubes first Financial Director", says April, "I look forward to having a strong influence on the company's future direction". Find out more about Top Tubes » New, fin cut tube reaches out to new markets Normal weld. Bead rolled weld. Fin cut weld. Fin cutting – the complete removal of the internal weld bead (or fin) – is now available on sizes above 25.40mm od for ERW tube produced here at Top Tubes. For the benefit of those not technically aware, fin-cut tube is necessary where the bore cannot have any weld seam obstruction. Instances such as one section of tube fitting snugly inside another or where there is a precision internal fit required. Cold drawn seamless tube offers the same benefits, but at a much greater cost. The fin cutting apparatus: The weld bead (shown here in blue) is sliced away as the tube passes over the fin-cutting apparatus contained within it. Fin-cutting takes place in-line by means of an internal scarfing tool positioned directly beyond the welding stage, over which the tube travels. The resulting scarfed fin wire is removed by means of high pressure air gun, leaving a clean internal diameter. "The clean bore of a fin-cut tube is a requirement in many applications", says Production Manager Simon Moore, "which, for Top Tubes, opens up opportunities in markets not previously accessed". "What’s more, many of those new applications will possess greater levels of sophistication, which can only reflect well on our reputation and our abilities". Find out more Top Tubes' ERW Tube » Promotions put new force behind sales Craig Gibbs becomes ERW & SHS Sales Director The man who has steered Top Tubes' ERW sales success for the last 12 years becomes ERW Sales Director. Amongst other responsibilities, Craig's new brief will encompass wide ranging strategic objectives in what he thinks could be a challenging business environment over the next few years. In his new role Craig will undertake more in depth analysis of the business leading to action plans to produce better profit results. "I intend to devote time to marketing projects which will expand our reach within the domestic and European tube market" he says. Commenting on his promotion and that of Lee Richards (see below) Craig said, "Top Tubes policy has always been to promote from within, a policy which the company believes ensures greater stability and lower staff turnover. Lee and I have worked together for 15 years and, although I say it myself, I think we’re a proven partnership". "Craig has been with Top Tubes for 12 years now", said Top Tubes MD Adam Bradley, "and much of the company's success is due to his commitment and hard work". "By promoting Craig and Lee we’re playing to our strengths - it’s the Top Tubes way and it’s one of the ways that we make sure we’re ahead of the game." Lee Richards becomes ERW & SHS Sales Manager As of 14th December Lee Richards is promoted to ERW & SHS Sales Manager. Well known to our ERW customers, Lee has already served 8 years in Top Tubes ERW sales. Lee's new role will enable him to get out on the road and see more of the division's customers as well as his own. "There is no substitute for the face to face interaction you get from a site visit" says Lee, "as well as building relationships there is also a value in seeing first hand what the customer is doing with our material". Among Lee's many assets is his keen understanding of operational methods, which he credits to having started right at the bottom as an apprentice 18 years ago. The 'SHS' (standing for Structural Hollow Section) in Lee's new title is of particular note, representing as it does Top Tubes' intention of developing this market further. "Supplies of structural hollow section from overseas sources such as Turkey have become reduced" said Lee, "creating renewed opportunities for home-grown producers". "At Top Tubes we have the added advantage of being able to supply high quality structural hollow section (as well as ERW tube) in any length, to suit the customer - and we can accommodate much shorter lead times than foreign suppliers". Lee and Craig Gibbs have a work partnership going back some fifteen years. "Whilst we don't yet finish each others sentences", says Lee, "we're great together as a team and often think along the same lines". Together, Lee and Craig - along with a planned additional sales apprentice – will, we feel sure, provide new impetus to the Sales and business development functions at Top Tubes. Find out more Top Tubes' ERW Tube » Business growth sees delivery fleet additions Driver Stuart Bott (left) with his Volvo 32 tonne FM Globetrotter and Driver Barry Summerfield (right) with his Volvo 26 tonne FM flat bed. It's a sure sign of business success when a company's delivery fleet is expanding, and that's exactly what's happening here at Top Tubes. Our fleet has just grown by another two new vehicles with the addition of a Volvo 32 ton FM Globetrotter with sliderflex roof and a Volvo 26 ton FM flat bed - both equipped with coil wells - bringing the Top Tubes fleet total to ten vehicles. Tellingly, both of the new additions boast sleeper cabs - the first two of our rigid vehicles to do so - because long distance deliveries are on the increase and it's far more economical to combine multiple deliveries into a single 2-day trip. Transport Manager Jason Mullender "We're relying far less these days on third party transport contractors", says Transport Manager Jason Mullender, "so we have greater control which makes for greater reliability which in turn produces greater customer satisfaction. It means that Top Tubes do everything from the minute the order is placed to the minute it's delivered". Drivers Stuart Bott and Barry Summerfield are delighted with their posh new 'offices' - "better than a hotel" says driver Stuart. Top Tubes' fleet drivers have always taken pride in getting deliveries to the customer on time. In most cases the drivers are responsible for their own vehicles which gives them added satisfaction in keeping their vehicles spick and span. Sporting Top Tubes' eye-catching blue and white livery and the highly appropriate slogan Taking Tube Further, Top Tubes vehicles are now a familiar sight on the highways and byways of Britain. And soon to become even more familiar if present growth continues. Find out more about Top Tubes’ MAGNAtube® » We thank all of our customers and suppliers for their continued support and wish all of you A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR Top Tubes closes for Christmas and New Year break at end of business on Friday 21st December and re-opens on Wednesday 2nd January 2019. Top Tubes Ltd 2 Smith Road, Wednesbury West Midlands WS10 0PD, England Tel: +44 (0)121 506 1080 Fax: +44 (0)121 506 1090 Email: enquiries@toptubes.co.uk www.toptubes.co.uk © Top Tubes Ltd 2018 Forward this Newsletter to a friend or colleague » Unsubscribe »