Diet club winner – well done Harry

/in ,

Congratulations to Harry Rudd, who won the November-December Diet Club at Warren Services.

Harry achieved an impressive 18lb weight loss over the duration of the challenge – a fantastic effort. He was very closely followed by Jake Williams, who missed out on the top spot by just 0.6lb in a tightly contested finish.

With a new year comes a new Diet Club, and we’d like to wish the best of luck to everyone taking part this time around. It’s great to see so many people getting involved and supporting each other along the way.

Welcoming Rob to the Warren team

/in ,

We’re pleased to welcome Rob Moan to Warren Services, where he has joined us as a CNC Miller.

Rob brings with him 11 years’ experience as a miller and has chosen to join Warren as part of his journey to further develop his career and broaden his experience within the CNC field. His background and hands-on knowledge will be a valuable addition to our machining capability.

Outside of work, Rob enjoys cooking, keeping active through working out and is currently learning to speak and read Japanese – a challenge that takes real dedication.

We’re delighted to have Rob on board and look forward to him settling in and meeting everyone across the business.

Farewell to Robin – a remarkable career in engineering

/in ,

In late December, we said farewell to Robin Foyle, who retired just before Christmas after an incredible 54 years in engineering, including 13 very happy years with Warren Services.

Robin was keen to leave quietly, without any big fuss, but his contribution to Warren deserved recognition. While he slipped away modestly, Richard Bridgman and his wife Sharon will be taking Robin and his wife out for a special meal to mark the occasion properly and say thank you in person.

A lasting impact on Warren and its people

At our final Board Meeting in December, we formally thanked Robin for his time with us. His words to the Board summed up his experience perfectly: “I have enjoyed every day that I have worked for Warren.” Hearing that made us immensely proud.

During his time here, Robin enriched countless lives across the business. His depth of knowledge, experience and willingness to share it freely made a lasting difference, particularly to our apprentices. Adam Wheatley was one of the first apprentices at Warren to benefit from Robin’s training, back when Robin was still working at JTL Training, before we eventually persuaded him to join us full time.

Robin had a special gift when it came to supporting young people at the start of their careers. Many apprentices simply would not be where they are today without his guidance, encouragement and patience. Some are still with us and are highly valued in their roles, while others have moved on over the years. Wherever they are now, we know they will reflect fondly on the skills, confidence and knowledge Robin helped them build.

With thanks and best wishes

Robin’s influence will continue to be felt at Warren for years to come, through the people he trained and supported along the way. From everyone at Warren, we thank him sincerely for everything he has given and wish him a long, happy and well-earned retirement.

Welcoming Katarzyna to the Warren team

/in ,

We’re pleased to welcome Katarzyna Kachel to Warren Services, where she has joined the team as a CNC Machinist.

Katarzyna works with our CNC machines, bringing valuable experience and a strong technical background to the role. Before joining Warren, she worked in a vegetarian food manufacturing environment in a Quality Assurance Technical position, where she was responsible for quality control, technical checks and maintaining high safety and production standards.

Prior to that, Katarzyna gained hands-on experience in precision engineering as a CNC Operator at Michelin Polska, developing her skills in machining and manufacturing processes.

Outside of work, Katarzyna enjoys travelling and swimming, helping her to stay active and unwind. We’re delighted to have her on board and look forward to seeing her continue to develop her skills and contribute to the work we do across the business.

iSH DECOM Connect event – driving innovation in nuclear decommissioning

/in ,

On 27 November 2025, the Cumbrian town of Workington became a focal point for the UK’s nuclear decommissioning supply chain, as industry leaders, innovators and supply chain companies gathered at Energus for the iSH DECOM Connect event.

Travelling up from Thetford the previous afternoon, the anticipation was for a day packed with learning, insight and collaboration – and the event more than delivered.

Bringing industry challenges to the fore

Organised by Industrial Solutions Hub and supported by Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster, the conference was designed to connect businesses with real-world challenges and opportunity pipelines across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estate.

The agenda featured presentations from senior leaders including Sellafield Ltd CEO Euan Hutton, Nuclear Waste Services CEO Seth Kybird, and Gareth Frazer, Head of MPO at Sellafield Ltd. Their sessions provided valuable context around the scale, complexity and long-term nature of decommissioning work across the UK.

Insight into real opportunities

Attendees gained clear visibility of current and upcoming market engagement opportunities, including the MSSS 3m³ Box Tender presented by Cath Murphy of Sellafield Ltd, and the Decommissioning Nuclear Waste Partnership (DNWP) led by Simon Martin.

These sessions were particularly relevant for Warren Services, highlighting where supply chain capability is needed now and where it will be needed in the years ahead. This led to a valuable one-to-one discussion later in the day with Cath Murphy and Jenny Maher, helping to shape early thinking around how Warren could align its expertise with sector demand.

A personal perspective

Reflecting on the journey north, Sophie Hall, Business Development Director at Warren Services, noted the wider importance of events like this, not just for business development, but for supporting the UK’s move towards a safer and more sustainable future.

The atmosphere at Energus was one of genuine collaboration, with delegates keen to share knowledge and contribute to solving some of the industry’s most complex challenges. This sentiment was echoed by Gary McKeating, Managing Director of iSH, who highlighted the value of bringing together problem-solvers, fixers and do-ers to make positive change happen through innovation and action.

Looking ahead

As a new business to the region, Warren was warmly welcomed and even offered space to set up a stand – conveniently positioned next to the tea and coffee area, which helped spark plenty of conversations throughout the day.

The key takeaway was clear. This opportunity is not short term, and demand currently outstrips the number of capable companies available to deliver the work. Over the coming months, focus will turn to developing a clear and considered strategy to determine how Warren Services can play a meaningful role in this growing sector.

Christmas Jumper Day at Warren

/in ,

Thursday 11th December marked Christmas Jumper Day at Warren Services, and it was great to see so many people getting involved.

Team members from both factories swapped their usual workwear for festive jumpers, bringing plenty of colour, laughter and Christmas spirit to the day. With classic knits and standout festive designs, there was no shortage of effort or creativity on display.

A big well done goes to Reino and Lukasz, who took home prizes for the best Christmas jumpers. Thanks to everyone who joined in and helped make the day a fun and festive one across the Warren team.

House of Lords TWI Dinner

/in ,

On the evening of 29th October, Will, Louis, Kieran and Estee had the honour of attending a dinner at the House of Lords, hosted by the TWI.

The group were invited by Caroline Gumble, the new Chief Executive of TWI. Caroline is a long-standing contact of both Richard and Will, with connections going back many years through EEF and Make UK.

The evening brought together representatives from a range of UK businesses and members of the TWI community. It offered an opportunity to share experiences, discuss industry developments and reflect on the ongoing importance of collaboration across the manufacturing and engineering sectors.

Estee, our HR Director, said, “It was a really lovely meal and an honour for all of us to be invited and share tables with lots of other UK businesses and members of the TWI.”

It was a memorable night for the team and a proud moment for Warren to be represented at such a prestigious event.

Ada Lovelace Day: Supporting Women in Manufacturing

/in ,

To mark Ada Lovelace Day, Richard encouraged our Business Development Director, Sophie Hall, to attend the breakfast reception at Westminster Palace on 14th October. The annual event shines a light on the underrepresentation of women in STEM careers, including engineering and manufacturing.

Despite the early start, Sophie’s journey went smoothly and she arrived at 7:30am to find a growing group of women gathering. After confirming she was in the right place, she soon struck up conversations, first with Esther Cornell, MD of a subcontract engineering firm and a familiar name to Richard, and then with Kirsty Davies-Chinnock, MD of Professional Polishing Services Ltd.

Sophie said, “My initial nervousness about attending such a significant event alone quickly dissipated as I found myself in great company.”

The event included inspiring speakers who shared their experiences and discussed the Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Plan, which supports the 35% by 35 initiative. This aims to increase the proportion of women working in manufacturing to 35% by 2035.

At Warren, 19.3% of our current workforce are women. Reflecting on this, Sophie spoke about her own journey into engineering:

“I recalled being the only female apprentice in my college class. Speaking with Estee, it seems the numbers have not changed significantly, even today. While the solution to this issue remains unclear, it’s encouraging to see so many dedicated and intelligent individuals working to inspire young women and girls to consider careers in engineering and manufacturing. Warren is certainly striving to be the change we want to see. I remain hopeful for the next generation of women in these fields thanks to the promising young women Warren already employs.”

Sophie returned energised by the discussions taking place across the sector and encouraged by the collective drive to open more opportunities for young women. At Warren, we will continue to champion a more inclusive future in engineering, one where women are better represented and fully supported to thrive.

Welcoming our new apprentices

/in , ,

We’re pleased to welcome Danny, Kelci and Cody, who have recently joined Warren Services to begin their Level 2 apprenticeships with West Suffolk College.

All three have started their process rotations, giving them the chance to spend time in different areas of the business and build a solid understanding of how each part of our operation works. These early rotations are an important step in helping new apprentices find their strengths, develop new skills and gain confidence in a real engineering environment.

As they settle in, they will as always, receive guidance and support from colleagues across the company.

We are proud to continue investing in the next generation of engineers and look forward to seeing how Danny, Kelci and Cody progress over the months ahead.

Welcome to the team!

Strengthening Our Welding Standards with The Welding Institute

/in ,

Warren has been steadily moving up in the welding world, and on Friday 5th September, we were delighted to welcome two very special visitors from The Welding Institute (TWI): Caroline Gumble, the new CEO, and Dr David Howse.

Richard Bridgman has known Caroline for over 30 years, since the days when Warren first joined the EEF (now MakeUK). Their paths crossing again at this important stage feels very timely, as Warren continues to raise the bar in welding and fabrication.

Caroline and David were given a tour of Fison Way by Kieran Stewart (Factory Manager) and Louis Lummis (Quality Manager & Responsible Welding Coordinator), with a particular focus on the Welding area. Afterwards, the visit continued at Brickfields, where they were joined by our Managing Director, Will Bridgman.

We were open in sharing that we’ve been a little disappointed with TWI in recent years. However, with Caroline at the helm, there is optimism that the organisation will be reinvigorated and return to its best.

This visit comes at a crucial time for Warren. With defence and potentially nuclear projects on the horizon, we are now working under much higher levels of scrutiny. These sectors demand exceptional quality and precision, and our team is determined to meet that standard. Louis has already been undertaking extensive training at TWI to ensure our welding processes continue to evolve and align with these demanding requirements.

Our discussions with David covered a wide range of technical detail and by the end of the day, both teams had developed a much stronger mutual understanding of the expectations and opportunities ahead.

This was a highly valuable visit for Warren, reinforcing our commitment to the very highest standards in welding, and we look forward to building a stronger relationship with TWI under Caroline’s leadership.