A lifetime in a changing industry

John retired recently after 45 years at Arnold Wragg (www.arnold-wragg.com) having served his apprenticeship many times! John was presented with a high quality flat screen TV and a commemorative plaque by STAG Group M.D. Colin Davis to remind him of how he grew with the company, as it developed into a significant specialist manufacturer within the aerospace, defence, motor-sport, high-speed rail and other advanced technology industries. As part of  STAG (Specialist Technologies Aerospace Group), Arnold Wragg invested in the latest technology high precision 3-dimensional 4 and 5 axis equipment for hard to make items, for example a recent machined-from-solid aluminium UAV wing spar, or other parts using Nimonic and Inconel nickel alloys – a long way from his beginnings in 1963.
 
John learned news skills on a frequent basis working still on the standard nuts and bolts – now to aerospace standards and also on one off, complex innovative designs such as Naval and Marine 1st level fasteners, manifolds and small high precision titanium or composite interface components – used to anchor equipment onto carbon fibre or other composite structures.
 
John Bell changed with the industry he joined back in 1963 and passed on his skills to another generation. Explained Operations Director Andrew Myers: “As the manufacturing arm of STAG Group our USP is about doing things better, quicker and cheaper – quality and efficiency are key to our existence and John was very much a part of that constant process developing better skills, technologies and methodologies. A culture summed up by Neville Shute in his expression that ‘an engineer is a man who can make something for 5 bob that any bloody fool can make for a quid.’”
 
“John retired at a time when we had become extensively involved in the Advance Manufacturing Research Centre based at Sheffield University in partnership with the aerospace industry. This was established in order to develop better practices, gaining orders of magnitude improvement in set up and production times – shortening project times and significantly reducing costs. John was a very active part of this dynamic culture which we at Arnold Wragg are pleased to foster within the STAG global aerospace/defence supply group.” Further information on STAG Group products and services can be found at: www.stag-aerospace.com and www.arnold-wragg.com.