Send us a text

In this episode, we share the real story of how a 4-day working week moved from concept to reality across multiple manufacturing sites. You’ll hear how we designed and trialled the shift with people-first thinking, data-driven decisions, and flexibility at the core. We cover everything from early union conversations to contract changes, phased rollouts, and how we managed customer expectations and KPIs.

Learn how we tackled fairness across roles and shifts, made overtime a tool—not a crutch—and what we’d do differently if starting again. If you're serious about sustainable change and curious how a 4-day week can actually work in complex, operational environments—this one's for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• How we designed trials, managed union concerns, and kept flexibility central
• The KPIs that mattered most: productivity, absence, and retention
• Balancing customer cover, Friday escalations, and shift fairness
• Lessons learned, what we’d change, and why it still works

Feel free to share this with the powers that be considering a four-day week.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

Send us a text

In this inspiring episode, Paul Stockhill, Managing Director of Agemaspark in Doncaster, shares insights from his remarkable 55-year journey in UK manufacturing. A passionate advocate for apprenticeships, Paul believes that developing young talent is the only sustainable answer to the sector’s growing skills crisis — and he’s proved it.

Every member of his senior management team started their career as an apprentice at Agma Spark — including those who joined him in a successful management buyout. From 3D metal printing for space stations and Mars rovers to nurturing the next generation through real-world work placements, Paul’s story is a blueprint for how legacy, innovation, and people development can power a business for decades.

🎙️ In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why apprenticeships are the backbone of Agemaspark’s success
• How the AMRC Training Centre's 38-week intensive program sets apprentices up for success
• The importance of communication skills in modern manufacturing
• Why Paul believes UTCs (University Technical Colleges) are key to solving the skills gap
• How Agemaspark’s first female engineering apprentice represents a new era for the business
• What it means to leave a legacy that’s bigger than one career

With 60,000 engineers projected to leave the industry by 2030, Paul's mission is clear: build businesses that last by investing in people who will carry them forward.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

Send us a text

🎧 Jo Lloyd's Leadership Evolution at Expanded Metal 🎧

From administrative temp to Head of People at Expanded Metal, Jo Lloyd shares her inspiring 12-year journey of transforming leadership in manufacturing. In this episode, she dives into how the industry has shifted from command-and-control to a more people-first approach.

Key takeaways include:

🖐 Leadership is about guiding – no ego, just collaboration.
🖐 Emotional intelligence fuels better decisions and team energy.
🖐 Authentic leadership means being yourself, not fitting stereotypes.
🖐 Expanded Metal’s shift from hierarchy to collaboration.
🖐 COVID-19 as a catalyst for sustainable practices.
🖐 Hybrid thinking and cross-training employees in multiple roles.
🖐 Diversity in manufacturing means embracing diverse thoughts and approaches.
🖐 Community engagement with schools to change perceptions of manufacturing careers.
🖐 Challenges are fuel for progress, not barriers.
🖐 Leaders should be accessible, helping others rise instead of pulling up the ladder.

Hit play for a conversation that challenges traditional manufacturing leadership and champions a new era of inclusivity, collaboration, and emotional intelligence.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

Send us a text

When a manufacturer doubles its workforce in just seven years despite industry-wide skills shortages you know they’re doing something special.

In this episode, Lorinda Lackay, Operations Director at Minicam, shares the innovative strategies that have transformed this Salford-based wastewater inspection systems manufacturer.

✈️ Growing up near an airfield in South Africa, Lorinda’s early spark for engineering shaped her belief in inspiring young people to see curiosity as the start of an engineering career.

🌍 Diversity as a strength: with 15+ nationalities across just 60 employees, Minicam proves how varied perspectives fuel innovation, resilience, and adaptability.

📚 Rethinking the apprenticeship levy: reskilling existing employees mid-career, moving experienced shop-floor talent into quality and safety roles, while creating new career pathways.

🤝 Culture as the driver: from collaborative hubs to open workbench layouts, Minicam shows how an environment that encourages conversation and ideas leads to lasting change.

Whether you’re tackling recruitment challenges, looking to futureproof skills, or building a stronger culture, Lorinda’s story shows what’s possible when manufacturing leaders think differently.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

Send us a text

Dinosaur leather. Lab-grown meat. Replacement corneas.
It might sound like science fiction, but it’s happening right now in Newcastle at 3D BioTissues.

Adam Crosby, Director of Operations, reveals how this spin-out from Newcastle University (founded in 2019) is developing groundbreaking biological materials: from luxury leathers genetically verified as dinosaur skin to medical treatments that could change lives.

🔬 How it works:

Cells are cultivated using nutrients like glucose and growth factors, multiplying naturally to form tissues. Unlike traditional methods, 3D BioTissues produce pure biological materials without scaffolding—a world-first approach.

✨ Key innovations:

• 🦖 Dinosaur leather already drawing attention from luxury fashion houses
• 🍖 Pure lab-grown meat created without scaffolding
• 👁️ Lab-grown corneas with the potential to transform eye treatments for both animals and humans

👤 Leadership & culture:
Adam champions a servant leadership style—empowering people to succeed whether he’s in the office or not. The team uses suggestion systems and innovation forms to encourage fresh ideas at every level.

⚠️ Challenges for the region:
Despite world-class universities, many Northeast graduates move south to the Oxford–Cambridge–London “Golden Triangle” where funding is richer. Local combined authorities are now working together to support the science industry with better funding and specialist lab space.

🚀 The future:
From dinosaur watch straps to vision-saving medical breakthroughs, 3D BioTissues is proof that the Northeast is shaping the future of science and manufacturing.

👉 Listen to the full conversation now, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to help share these innovations.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

Send us a text

From Syria to the UK: Founding an Award-Winning Cheese Brand 🇸🇾🇬🇧🧀

In this episode, Razan Alsous shares her incredible journey from fleeing conflict in Syria to launching Yorkshire Dama Cheese, now one of the UK’s most celebrated artisan cheese brands.

Key moments:
💷 Started the business with just £2,500 and repurposed equipment
🧀 Identified a gap in the market for fresh, locally made halloumi
🏆 Won 65+ awards — including at the World Cheese Awards
🌟 Supplies Michelin-starred restaurants and top farm shops
🎓 Balanced growth with studying food technology to strengthen the business

An inspiring story of grit, vision, and building something truly special against all odds.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

Send us a text

Declan Middleton, Engineering Manager at Perry Process Equipment, shares his journey from reluctant work experience student to respected leader and details how one summer placement changed his career trajectory forever.

In this episode:

• 🎮 Declan wanted to be a journalist, until his dad made him try engineering work experience instead.

• 👷‍♂️ From apprentice to Engineering Manager, now leading and mentoring his own team.

• 🚀 Encouraging young engineers to take risks, fail fast, and grow through real-world learning.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

Send us a text

Matthew Pemrick, Managing Director of Cicor, shares his inspiring journey from apprentice to business leader. He explores how endurance sports like Ironman have shaped his approach to resilient leadership, building inclusive teams, and creating a positive, connected workplace culture.

In this episode, we cover:

From factory apprentice to MD: Matthew Pemrick shares his leadership journey and lessons learned.

Endurance sports & leadership: How Ironman training shaped mental toughness and business resilience.

Building inclusive teams: Creating a 50/50 workforce naturally—by hiring the best, not by design.

Culture of connection: Leading with visibility, empathy, and a fear-free, people-first approach.

Purpose-driven action: Supporting apprenticeships, communities, and continuous improvement, even in downturns.

"Don't wait for your boat to come ashore, swim out to reach it."

#LeadershipJourney #ResilientLeadership #InclusiveWorkplace #EnduranceMindset #BusinessResilience #FromApprenticeToLeader #IronmanMindset #WorkplaceCulture #PeopleFirstLeadership

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298