Martin Bradfield Operations Manager at Venhill

“We initially thought we’d have to close the factory due to the Government mandated lockdown, as there wouldn’t have been space for all the staff to socially distance” says Operations Manager Martin Bradfield. “After an open discussion with the whole team, we decided to introduce a split shift system, allowing everyone to continue to work while allowing the required workplace distancing. Before long we could see that this offered the opportunity to bring on a few new team members to the quieter of the two shifts, which we did once lockdown restrictions were eased for manufacturing”.

In addition to regular business from overseas distributors and UK dealers and workshops, Venhill also noticed a significant increase in demand from customers taking advantage of extra time on their hands to tackle restoration projects. Three new members of staff have joined the team at Venhill’s Dorking factory, increasing production capacity in the hose and cable workshops, as well as another in the dispatch area to keep the quality product moving, bringing the total headcount to 20.