In 1983, David Peaker founded A Fawcett Precision Engineering, named after Arthur Fawcett who originally sold the company. From there, it went on to become a thriving business – but one which has retained its family-run ethos.
Taking over from her father 10 years ago, Joanne Thompson, Managing Director of A Fawcett Precision Engineering, is now bringing the Elland-based engineering company even further with a new business plan and marketing campaign.
Ms. Thompson has recently become an Alumni of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme, a prestigious and highly-regarded mentorship scheme which will act as the launch pad for A Fawcett’s new strategies for growth.
“I learned a lot about myself on the programme,” states Ms. Thomson. “I also learned a lot about running the business, leadership, and generating new ideas.”
One of many valuable insights which Ms. Thompson gained from the programme was the realisation of how many opportunities the company could be taking advantage of.
“We’ve been going for 30 years, and have had our ups and downs,” Ms. Thompson explains. “There’s been hesitation in the last few years across certain industries. The Goldman Sachs programme has given me a lot of confidence, as well as the motivation to create more jobs locally. It’s brought home the fact that I’ve been working in the business, instead of on it.”
Another significant development for A Fawcett is the launch of their new website. The new sleek and clean design is much more representative of the company’s branding and identity, and effectively tells the story of their ongoing legacy.
“I wanted to use a local company,” says Ms. Thompson, explaining why A Fawcett chose Vizulate Digital, a Yorkshire-based digital marketing agency. “They’re a new startup who are looking to do the Goldman Sachs programme as well, which I think is important to encourage.”
The prospect of utilising and promoting local businesses is key to A Fawcett’s operations. Ms. Thompson discusses how important this is to the company as they move forward, stating: “We’re trying to broaden our customer base. There’s lots of companies around Leeds that we will be contacting in the near future.”
To further their support of the local manufacturing presence, A Fawcett are broadening their efforts to foster local talent. Their current apprentice will soon be finishing the programme, and they’ll be looking to take on another later this year. On top of this, A Fawcett boast a team of staff who have been with the company for decades – some beginning their careers in the company at 16-years-old, some 30 years ago.
But A Fawcett aren’t stopping there. They’ve also applied for an LEP grant which will allow them to create a further three jobs in their team, looking to expand their small staff whilst keeping the integrity and expert-level service they’ve become known for.
The company is also venturing further into the realm of digital marketing, producing newsletters and blogs, and have invested in more machinery which will allow them to offer more of their bespoke services to customers.
All of this is part of a three-year business plan which Ms. Thompson has developed after completing the mentorship programme earlier this year.
Whilst implementing this plan, A Fawcett Precision Engineering will be getting much more involved with the Made in Yorkshire community and networking events.
Get in touch with them to hear more about these exciting new developments, and to see what A Fawcett can do for your business.
This article first appeared on MadeInYorkshire.com and can be viewed here.