Staffordshire-based
KMF Group, a provider of custom sheet metal fabrication and CNC machining solutions, has appointed former apprentice Adam Ellis as its new head of business development. In 2011, Mr Ellis, then 18, embarked on a four-year apprenticeship at the Group, learning his trade through in-house dedicated on-the-job training working in KMF’s ‘state of the art’ facility.
Mr Ellis has now literally worked his way around KMF spending time in a variety of areas, including laser cutting, metal forming, punching and welding. After completing his apprenticeship, he was awarded an NVQ and VRQ Level 3 in metal fabrication and welding and these qualifications provided him with the necessary knowledge and experience to advance his career within the Group.
He said: “The apprenticeship scheme has given me a good understanding of the processes involved at KMF Group which is now beneficial when taking on new customers in my current role as head of business development, as I have a thorough knowledge of the company’s capabilities.”
After completing his apprenticeship, his first role at KMF was as a press brake operator, which involved folding components destined for the aerospace industry, operating high-tech sheet metal-forming machines, and innovative computer software. This specific position gave him an insight into the tolerances required for metal-formed products from small parts with a single fold, to larger more complex parts with many bends.
Mr Ellis’s next role at KMF saw him promoted to sales engineer, where his duties took a vital shift and he was then involved in the planning of the manufacturing process. Once customer drawings had been received, it was his job to provide the best method of manufacture to clients.
He added: “After receiving customer drawings I would use this information to propose the best method of manufacture. This in turn gives the sales team a base sell cost and generates the route card for the production teams.”
During this time, he also worked closely with a project manager to oversee key projects and samples which allowed Mr Ellis to follow KMF’s processes from start to finish and gain further insight into the capabilities of the Group.
The next stage of his career saw Mr Ellis advance to business development manager. During this time, his responsibilities involved supervising key customer accounts and seeking out new business opportunities. His deep understanding of the sheet metal fabrication market and broad knowledge of competitors allowed him to excel in this role.
Fast-forward to today, and his dedication, enthusiasm and success has resulted in the promotion to head of business development. Although his day-to-day tasks have not altered too much, Mr Ellis’s responsibility has further increased as he is now responsible for managing and nurturing members of the team. Not only does he offer support to his co-workers when required, but he is also now involved in regular management meetings to discuss current sales, forecasted figures and new business opportunities.