Another apprenticeship success at Warren

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We’re delighted to celebrate another apprenticeship achievement at Warren, with Lud successfully completing her Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship.

Lud has been completing her qualification alongside her role within our Procurement team, putting what she has learned into practice while gaining valuable experience within the business. She has now officially received her pass certificate – a fantastic achievement and recognition of all the work she has put in.

Lud’s success also marks an important milestone for Warren, as all three of our recent Level 3 Business Administration apprentices have now successfully completed their qualifications.

Lud joins Ella and Natalia in achieving their Level 3 qualification, making it a triple success that we’re very proud to celebrate.

Apprenticeships have long been an important part of Warren. While engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships naturally play a major role in developing skills on our shop floor, we’re equally committed to creating opportunities for people to learn and progress within our office-based departments.

Seeing Lud, Ella and Natalia successfully complete their qualifications demonstrates the value apprenticeships can bring across all areas of the business.

We’re continually looking at how we can develop and expand our apprenticeship programme, giving people the opportunity to gain recognised qualifications, build practical experience and develop their careers with Warren.

A huge well done to Lud, Ella and Natalia. All three have become valued members of the Warren team, and we look forward to continuing to support them as they develop their skills, continue their studies and progress within the business.

Welcoming three new faces to the Warren team

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We’ve recently welcomed several new members to the Warren team, bringing with them experience from across manufacturing as well as plenty of interests outside the workplace.

We’d like to introduce Ashley, Jakub and Dennis and give everyone the chance to get to know them a little better.

Welcome Ashley

Ashley has joined Warren as a CNC Machinist, bringing an impressive 16 years of machining experience to the role.

He has lived in Thetford with his partner for the past eight years and is dad to two young daughters – a five-year-old and the newest addition to the family, who is just four months old.

Outside of work and family life, Ashley has a longstanding passion for boxing, having taken up the sport at the age of 13. He now gives something back by volunteering as a coach at Thetford Boxing Club, helping others develop their own skills in the sport.

We’re delighted to have Ashley within the Warren team.

 

Welcome Jakub

Jakub joins us as a Brake Press Operator, having previously worked within sheet metal manufacturing.

Originally from Poland, Jakub has been living in the UK for several years and brings relevant industry experience to his new role at Warren.

When he’s away from work, he enjoys travelling, playing video games and spending time outdoors.

We’re pleased to welcome Jakub to the business and hope he enjoys being part of the team.

 

Welcome Dennis

Dennis is the newest addition to our Orders Department and also joins us with previous manufacturing industry experience.

Before coming to Warren, she spent three years working for another manufacturing company, where her role focused on stock control. She’s looking forward to taking on new challenges, developing his skills and learning from the wealth of experience that exists across Warren.

Outside of work, Dennis enjoys spending time with friends, getting out and about and making the most of her free time.

It’s always great to welcome new people into the business and see the different experience, knowledge and personalities they bring with them.

A warm welcome to Ashley, Jakub and Dennis from everyone at Warren. We hope you’ll all have long and successful careers with us!

Sean Allan – 10 Year Anniversary

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This month, we are celebrating another fantastic long-service milestone at Warren as Sean Allan marks 10 years with the business.

Over the past decade, Sean has worked as part of both our Assembly and Sapphire teams, bringing reliability, experience and a positive attitude to his roles.

Ten years with a business represents a considerable commitment, and during that time Sean has become a valued and popular member of the Warren team. Known for his easy-going nature and willingness to get on with the job, he has made an important contribution to the departments he has worked within.

We’re also reliably informed that Sean likes a hammer – which, in an engineering and manufacturing business, is probably not a bad quality to have!

Long-serving employees bring a huge amount of knowledge and experience to Warren. Their understanding of our processes, customers and the way we work is invaluable, while their support for colleagues helps skills and knowledge to be shared throughout the business.

Sean’s reliability and commitment over the past ten years are greatly appreciated, and we are delighted to recognise everything he has contributed during his time with us.

Congratulations, Sean, on reaching your 10-year anniversary at Warren. Thank you for your hard work and dedication and here’s to many more successes in the years ahead.

Celebrating three long-service milestones this July

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July is a special month at Warren as we celebrate three significant long-service anniversaries across the business.

This year, we are proud to recognise the dedication and commitment of:

Adam Goldson – 20 years
Chris Watson – 10 years
Jordan Brimson – 10 years

Together, these milestones represent an incredible 40 years of service to Warren.

Long service is about much more than the number of years someone has worked for a company. It reflects the commitment, professionalism and positive contribution individuals make every day – helping colleagues, supporting customers and playing an important role in the continued success of the business.

Each of these team members has developed valuable expertise within their specialist area. From milling and welding to powder coating, they represent the breadth of skills that exist across Warren and demonstrate the diverse capabilities that enable us to deliver high-quality engineering and manufacturing solutions.

Their knowledge, experience and willingness to support others have helped strengthen not only their own departments but the wider business as well.

On behalf of everyone at Warren, we would like to thank Adam, Chris and Jordan for their hard work, loyalty and dedication over the years. Reaching these milestones is a fantastic achievement and one that deserves to be recognised and celebrated.

Congratulations to all three of you. We are incredibly grateful for everything you have contributed over the years and look forward to many more successes together.

Russell Cook – 10 Year Anniversary

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Every great success story has a beginning, and ten years ago Russell Cook started his journey at Warren on the Twilight Shift.

Joining the business with exceptional welding skills, a strong work ethic and a commitment to supporting those around him, it quickly became clear that Russ would make a lasting impact on the team.

Over the years, through hard work, dedication and leadership, Russ progressed to become the Welding Captain of the Twilight Shift – a position earned through experience, consistency and the respect of his colleagues.

Throughout his decade with Warren, Russ has taken on countless challenges, worked to demanding deadlines and contributed to a wide variety of projects. Time and again, he has approached each task with determination, professionalism and a willingness to help others succeed.

His welding expertise has played an important role in producing high-quality work that meets the standards our customers expect, while his leadership has helped support and guide the team through the day-to-day demands of manufacturing.

Like many long-serving members of the Warren team, Russ has grown alongside the business, helping us adapt, develop and continue delivering for our customers. His contribution over the last ten years has been greatly appreciated by colleagues across the company.

Looking back, there have been plenty of memorable moments along the way, including a famously blunt first-day assessment from Richard! Thankfully, Russ didn’t let that put him off and has gone on to prove exactly what an important member of the team he is.

Congratulations, Russ, on reaching your 10-year anniversary. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and leadership over the past decade. We look forward to seeing what the next chapter brings.

Estee attends HR event focused on workplace challenges

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People are at the heart of every successful business, which is why staying informed about workplace trends and challenges is so important.

On Thursday 4th June, our HR Director Estee Ros, attended an HR event in Royal Leamington Spa that brought together professionals from a range of manufacturing businesses to discuss some of the most significant people-related issues facing employers today.

The event covered a variety of topics including menopause, retirement, employee wellbeing and generational differences in the workplace. These are often the conversations that sit beneath the surface of an organisation, yet they can have a significant impact on employee engagement, wellbeing and overall business performance.

Alongside discussions on upcoming workplace reforms due to take effect in 2026, the event focused on helping businesses build manager confidence, support multigenerational workforces and address topics that are sometimes considered difficult or sensitive to discuss.

A key theme throughout the day was that workplace challenges are best addressed proactively. Open conversations, clear communication and practical support can all play an important role in creating a positive working environment where employees can perform at their best.

The event was extremely well attended and provided a valuable opportunity to hear from other manufacturing businesses within the MAKE UK membership network. It was reassuring to learn that many organisations are facing similar challenges and working towards similar solutions.

Events like this allow us to learn from others, share experiences and bring back ideas that can help us continue to support our employees and strengthen our workplace culture.

Expanding our welding capabilities with Code A Weld

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At Warren, continuous improvement is a key part of how we operate. It could be about investing in new equipment, developing our people or refining our processes – we’re always looking for ways to strengthen our capabilities and deliver the highest standards for our customers.

This month, we welcomed the team from Code A Weld to support our welding department with a series of positional mild steel TIG welding procedures.

As manufacturing technologies and industry requirements continue to evolve, it’s important that we develop our skills and qualifications to keep pace. These new procedures will help expand our welding capabilities and provide even greater flexibility when tackling a variety of projects.

In an ideal situation, welding is carried out in the flat position. However, real-world manufacturing doesn’t always make that possible. Factors such as component size, design complexity and accessibility can require welding to be carried out in different positions. By introducing these additional procedures, our team can confidently adapt to these situations while maintaining the high standards of quality our customers expect.

The work carried out with Code A Weld forms part of our ongoing commitment to investing in both our people and our processes. Building a comprehensive library of approved procedures ensures we can respond effectively to a wider range of manufacturing challenges while continuing to deliver consistent, high-quality results.

The Code A Weld team were excellent to work with throughout the process, and we would like to thank them for the time, expertise and support they provided.

This is only the beginning. Additional testing is planned in the coming weeks as we continue to expand our procedure library and strengthen our welding capabilities even further.

We look forward to sharing more updates as we continue to learn, adapt and invest in the future of manufacturing at Warren.

Ella takes the next step in her career

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This week we were delighted to congratulate Ella on successfully completing her Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship.

Working within Warren’s Quality team, Ella has spent the past few years developing her knowledge and skills while gaining valuable experience in a busy manufacturing environment. Balancing work responsibilities with studying is never easy, but Ella has shown dedication and determination throughout her apprenticeship journey.

Achieving a qualification is always an important milestone, but for Ella it is also the beginning of the next chapter. Rather than stopping at Level 3, she has already committed to continuing her professional development and will begin a Level 4 Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship in September.

This next qualification will allow Ella to build on the experience she has already gained within the Quality team and further develop the specialist skills that are so important within modern manufacturing.

One of the great strengths of apprenticeships is that they provide a pathway for continuous learning and career progression. Ella’s journey is a great example of how apprentices can develop their knowledge, gain recognised qualifications and continue advancing their careers within the business.

We are proud to support Ella as she continues her development and look forward to seeing what she achieves next.

Congratulations, Ella, on completing your Level 3 qualification, and best of luck as you begin your Level 4 apprenticeship later this year.

Discussing opportunities for young people with Baroness Stedman-Scott

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Warren recently welcomed an important visit focused on one of the key challenges facing communities across the UK – helping young people move into education, employment and training.

The visit brought together our Managing Director, Will Bridgman, and our Founder Owner Richard Bridgman with Baroness Debbie Stedman-Scott and Julia Nix, Head of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for Norfolk and Suffolk.

Julia organised the visit, bringing Baroness Stedman-Scott to Norfolk to meet with organisations including Warren, Netmatters and Open Road in Thetford. Each organisation plays a role in supporting, training and developing young people, including those who may have faced challenges during their education.

A major topic of discussion was the growing number of young people aged 16 to 24 who are not currently in education, employment or training, often referred to as NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training). This remains a significant challenge across the country and one that requires collaboration between businesses, education providers and government organisations.

Richard commented that Baroness Stedman-Scott was a breath of fresh air, bringing a wealth of experience and practical ideas to the discussion. She was instrumental in introducing the highly successful Kickstart scheme and continues to champion innovative approaches to helping young people develop skills, gain confidence and access meaningful employment opportunities.

The visit generated valuable conversations and new ideas that could help address the challenges facing young people today. Several of these ideas have already been shared with others involved in training and workforce development.

At Warren, we remain committed to supporting apprenticeships, work experience placements and opportunities that help young people take their first steps into rewarding careers.

Watch this space as these discussions continue to develop.

The bridge is finally complete!

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After much anticipation, “The Bridge” at our Brickfields site is finally complete.

The new bridge links the upper gravel car park directly to the mezzanine entrance, creating a more convenient route into the building and improving access across the site.

Richard Bridgman commented:

“This has been on the cards for far too long, but I must say it looks very robust, very functional and fits the bill perfectly!”

Projects like this are a great example of Warren’s in-house capabilities, with different teams working together to design, manufacture and install a practical solution that will benefit employees and visitors alike.

A special thank you goes to Josh and Louis for the design work, and to Adam and his team – particularly Ricardo – for assembling the structure and successfully lifting it into position.

Richard added:

“Personally, I use it every time now, as it’s a lot easier than the big gates down the bottom.”

The completed bridge is a simple but effective improvement that demonstrates the skills and teamwork that exist throughout the business. It’s always rewarding to see a project move from an idea to a finished structure that people can use every day.

Well done to everyone involved in bringing the project to completion.