Interview with Advanced Engineering and Scott Singleton
Scott Singleton, Operations Manager at Cristex.
What is your role?
My role as Operations Manager at Cristex can be split into 4 key areas: people, core operations, project delivery and strategy. The main responsibility is supporting the production planning process and ensuring production targets are met and new opportunities are explored. The overall vision for Cristex is to be a trusted supplier in the composites industry providing quality materials to our clients and offering the technical support they need for their projects. Another key focus is on the service we provide, offering a tailored solution for all cutting and kitting requirements.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the industry at the moment?
From a Cristex perspective, at present, our biggest challenge in supplying the UK composites manufacturing market with reinforcement materials has been focused on the availability of raw materials and reliability of delivery dates throughout our supply chain. This has caused pressure on meeting our clients’ expectations and providing the trusted service we have built over 30 years of operating. Our entire team throughout Cristex have been working hard to ensure any disruption in what has proven challenging circumstances for most businesses over the past 12 months are minimised. We have invested in additional sales and production staff to both communicate with customers and increase our capacity internally. Instability within the market has proven challenging but to see the success we have had in many areas is very rewarding and we are hoping and planning to push and grow further on the back of this and come out of these tough times stronger than ever.
What do you think is the biggest opportunity for the composites sector?
For me, the opportunities within the composites sector are so widespread across all industries, with the huge push and breakthroughs in material capabilities and developing success in the recyclability of composites. We are seeing exciting and ever-increasing projects coming to us in all industries, we are proud and excited to be part of such a promising and lucrative market.
Have you adapted your business over the last year?
Looking back on how the business looked 12 months ago to how it looks now has been an exercise we have done regularly at Cristex to reflect on decisions we have made. We have seen a significant change to how our engagements with clients, embracing online meetings and remote working has forced us to adapt to a new way of operating as a business and with this ability to adapt to situations around us we have been able to maintain an effective and efficient way of operating. Looking specifically to the operations of the business, Cristex have invested heavily in the cutting and kitting department, we have started offering the service for cutting all types of composite reinforcements for our existing and new clients. Over the past 12 months, this service gained real traction and proven to be a complementary and valuable addition to the distribution side of the business. We have been able to improve material efficiency, reducing waste generated during our clients manufacturing processes. Allowing a greater level of consistency to be achieved and maintained whilst becoming a more important and valuable part of our clients’ supply chain. All these points have been very positive for us to see at Cristex and this operation has become a very important part of the vision at Cristex as we move forward.
What are you most looking forward to about 2021 and beyond?
We are looking forward to having the opportunity to get back out and see our clients face to face and see first-hand the innovative projects they are working on, as much as my ability and reliance on Microsoft teams has been an interesting experience over the past year it does not replace the face-to-face meetings we are so used to. We are also working on some new and exciting projects at Cristex HQ that will be launched in 2021 and we look forward to sharing these developments over the coming months. The pandemic has been tough for many businesses, but it has allowed us to reflect and redefine our path for Cristex and its future success.
About The Advanced Engineering Show 2021
