Post
by Claretitus » Sat Aug 29, 2020 2:40 pm
The writing has been on the wall for B'Wick for decades. When I started, there were over 2,000 people employed over 3 sites. With the advent of CNC machining, the change in manufacturing process for turbine blades, which were made at B'Wick before being made from single cell crystals at a new factory in Derby, etc etc, the place has been in a steep decline. If it hadn't have been for the WCFB, and the investment made in the mid to late 80's at G/Brow, and then Bankfield when Trent blades came on line, the place would have closed years ago. There may have been a stay of execution for the Static Compressor side of things, but even then, they tried to place work overseas at KHI in Japan, but they just couldn't make them. At least there will be some RR presence in the town, making spares, and this should continue for years to come, but obviously very much scaled down from the past.
Also some shocking decisions made by previous site managers. Some of who were just university graduates, who had never previously worked in engineering, never mind risen through the ranks. One clown even left for a while for a senior job at the Post Office, before returning to preside over things at RR B'Wick.Look at the state the Post Office got into,it beggars belief that they put em in charge of anything. Most of em couldn't run a bath.