Archived News 2008
New General Manager at CJ Tools.
Kevin Melsome – (pictured right) - has accepted the challenge and opportunity of becoming General Manager at CJ Tools. Kevin has been with CJT for 4 years already as Materials Manager.
"Kevin has demonstrated he has all the skills needed in his ‘tool box’ which will stand him in good stead as the company goes forward" said MD - Grant Jamieson.
Grant Continues "During my time here, I have enjoyed the company and real success achieved through the efforts of the staff. Of course we have had to manage some challenging situations but we’ve come through them and are stronger for it. I’m sure Kevin will face some challenges which will test him, but I’m very confident with his ability and with the support of the team here he’ll come through them.
Kevin has the full support of the management team, one that has recently been strengthened with the addition of Cliff Rolfe as Engineering Manager."
Kevin added " I’m delighted to be given the opportunity, I will do all I can to ensure the company continues to exceed customer expectations. I’m confident in all the staff here at CJT so don’t expect to introduce dramatic change. Clearly I will have to delegate some of my past activity to allow me to step up and encompass new fields but I’m looking forward to my personal challenge and I’m sure the support I have here will present challenge and opportunity for those around me too. "
Consignment Stock Agreement
Kevin Melsome - General Manager at CJT (right) shakes the hand of Mark Rody (left) as they cement an agreement for Consignment Stocking at the customer’s London headquarters.
For Kevin and Mark this represents another development in the long relationship between the two companies. Mark explained - CJT has been buying castings, machining, anodising, painting and supplying precision components on a routine basis for many years. Historically a schedule of demand placed several months out has been used to ensure supply. Now the schedule will act as a guide and as stock will be on hand for use according to real demand as opposed to forecast the flexibility to respond is much greater.
Mark commented "CJT are the first supplier of bespoke goods that we have felt confident enough with to take this important strategic step. We are fully committed to CJT and we know they are to us so for us all it’s a win- win situation. We have developed the agreement and have full trust in each other to maintain our promise. CJT’s prior experience in these deals has been very helpful; they have been here before and are experienced in the detail workings which has been very useful."
Kevin added "I’m delighted with the confidence shown in our abilities, this is where we know we can offer more value to our customers. We have the skills and infrastructure to manage and find the benefits to all help us, and UK PLC. I foresee more and more companies taking this approach as sophistication in supply chain management continues to develop in the UK."
Can you produce these in production quantities and supply to us within 4 weeks?
The wise would hesitate, so we did – but not for long. We said yes.
Our customer needed a solution; their existing supplier had failed them.
Having built a high level of trust over the years we were able to proceed straight away, the Purchase order would follow. What followed was an intense period of communication, concentration and teamwork which resulted in production quantities being delivered on time and of course right first time. We’d helped, we now have three more versions we’re underway with and our customer has peace of mind and a scheduled supply chain which responds to and meets with their build programs.
We were asked to help, a problem needed resolving once and for all and we solved it!
It takes courage to change suppliers
We know it takes a lot of courage sometimes to move a part from an existing supplier to another. Here we are good engineers. We know we can't solve all the problems for everyone. When it comes to addressing complex, precision manufacture needs with supply chains to be managed and where right first time supply is critical, if we say we can solve the problem - then we will solve the problem. Try us.
When the Heat is on!!
CJ Tools wins back business from China
Our state of the art Heatsink manufacturing processes have proved cost effective for UK companies for a long time.
So we accepted the apology of the local contact and accepted that the decision was beyond local control and reason. In the face of 'item cost down' pressures, local was seen as expensive when compared with the price promise from China.
Maintaining a professional approach throughout CJ Tools supported the transfer and managed stocks and service as was the requirement.
You can imagine how pleased we were to be asked to resume supply.
'Low cost' from China turned out not to be. The whole life costs of quality, service and price had shown itself to be a false economy. As our local contact put it:
"Business performance is more than just one single component of price - we need service - response and flexibility as well as a good price and quality which doesn't drift from the sample approved.' He added, we felt we'd lost control, our customers aren't so well planned in their demand that we can add a six week shipping cycle as part of their problem."
CJ Tools has an expert Heatsink manufacturing capability. This combined with excellent links to extrusion foundries and our ability to provide Kan ban delivery programs means we really can support our claim to be World Class.
"I'm convinced many more UK companies could gain real benefit from what we have here."
Grant Jamieson - M.D.
CJ Tools in the News for Green Travel Initiative
Single occupancy car travel is certainly not friendly to the environment. CJT's efforts to encourage cycling to work was featured in the Portsmouth Evening News on Tuesday 30th October.
See the full story here.