27th June 2023
Recently mounted on the wall in reception at PP Control & Automation is an installation of 80 faces. These faces are those of the company’s longest serving employees. From six, all the way up to 43 years’ dedication.
The board represents 1,163 years’ combined service! If served consecutively, this would take us back to 860 AD, when Viking raiders sailed to England and attacked Winchester, the capital of Wessex.
Thankfully, despite coming through recessions and more recently, a global pandemic, the business hasn’t suffered a long enduring battle like that of the Danes and Saxons!
In fact, it has been a time rich with success and packed with celebrations of all shapes and sizes. And there’s one person who has experienced it all – at the very top of the long service wall is Frank Cox. Frank was there when founder, David Fox first acquired Power Panels and was integral in overseeing three facility extensions, and the evolution of the brand from Power Panels, the control panel manufacturer, to PP Control & Automation, the strategic outsourcing partner.
Frank Cox (43 years’ service)
The early days with David, are some of the most memorable for Frank. It was the start of an ambitious vision – a vision he had the pleasure of understanding first-hand, and see come to fruition over the years.
David’s character and leadership style had a big impact on Frank and in some ways, helped shape his outlook on working life. Frank reflects:
“Around the time of the acquisition of Power Panels, I could feel the excitement emitting from David, and his vision was starting to materialise. There was a sense that this was the start of something special. It was hard work of course to start from so little and build a business, but determination and a ‘never give up’ attitude put us on the right path.”
Power Panels, then in its Frederick Street facility was a few people strong but had high hopes and ambitions, that were the first steps on a journey to becoming the 230-people strong business it is today.
L-R: Tess Dudley (7 years), Simon Astbury (12 years), Natalie Webb (12 years), Anil Hari (25 years)
Frank recalls this very ambition manifesting back in the early 90s when he was deeply involved in the purchasing requirements for the company’s biggest new customer, Mazak.
“The partnership with Mazak celebrates 30 years this year. That’s an incredible feat for any business, and the signs of a great partnership were evident back in 1993 when they placed their first order with us.
“The Japanese senior management team visited the site and saw something ‘different’ in our approach. They saw our ambition and were impressed with the company-wide focus on quality.”
Frank realised early in his career that quality and of course, that never give up attitude were essential traits, especially when having to problem solve.
“Problems were always seen as opportunities to innovate or improve quality. There is always a remedy. This attitude to problem solving and learning is very much part of the company’s DNA and how it continues to grow even today.”
Frank is a lifelong learner, always open to progress and new visions for business and personal growth. He has also always looked to understand the business from top to bottom and has found himself in roles across the many departments of the organisation.
In the early days, Frank got to experience the negotiation and sales tactics of his boss, David, accompanying him in many exciting first meetings with potential partners and customers. Frank recites one of David’s more emphatic ways to break the ice:
Frank benefited from these customer-facing experiences and sought to learn more about sales, accounts, purchasing, general management, and site services. This ‘360 view’ is part of the secret to his long tenure.
Roles including works manager, purchasing manager, site manager and facilities manager are all positions proudly held by Frank over his 43 years of service. Today, Frank heads up maintenance and is often called upon for assistance with interesting new projects; most likely because of his experience with some of the biggest projects in the company’s history.
L-R: Nathan Williams (11 years), Mark Baker (8 years) & Helen Garcha (9 years)
In 2005, 2010 and 2017, PP C&A invested in three separate extensions, all of which Frank played a key role.
“Sorting Risk Assessment Method Statements and permits to work, liaising with builders and contractors, and those regular progress updates were actually quite exciting at the time. An extension to the facility is a sign of progress, of growth and of opportunity. It also spreads excitement throughout the business.
It was proof that the vision I had bought into and shared with David all those years ago was rightly ambitious and was worth believing in. To live that feeling over three extensions is special. These projects represent some of my proudest moments.”
David Fox & Tony Hague after the 2017 facility extension
Top L-R: Ian Knight (27 years) & Joanna Gould (18 years), Scott Ward (13 years)
The dedication to this vision and the feeling of pride when success manifests is what keeps Frank motivated. But not just that. When you work at a business that has grown at an impressive rate, and you’ve been there from the start, you also see lots of people come into the fold and buy into that vision. These people, these colleagues, are also good friends.
“We’ve got a good group of people here. I might hold the record, but there are a great many people with over 20 years’ service here. That speaks volumes. It’s a pleasure to work alongside them and to offer what advice I can to the new generation.
“It is important too to tell our story – to not forget where we came from. It’s been a lot of fun and has involved a lot of people. It’s nice to know that one of the first things you now see when you walk into our facility is the very people who have dedicated so much of their time and effort into the business and helped make it the success it is today.”
Frank teaches us to be open minded, ambitious, and unwaveringly dedicated to a strong vision. But most importantly, he represents how you do it together and therefore succeed together.
The PP C&A long service wall borrows a quote from Helen Keller to promote this very idea: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
As part of an ongoing campaign that celebrates every walk of working life at PP Control & Automation, you’ll find out what makes us, well, us!
From outsourcing champions, exemplary engineers, culture promoters and rising stars, you’ll get access to thought leadership content, individual profiles and video interviews with key leaders, engineers, and apprentices, plus blogs and Q&As, all showcasing the honest and open opinions from inside the organisation.
Come back to the blog in the coming weeks and throughout the year as we continue the campaign celebrating people, processes and partnerships. Follow PP Control & Automation on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube, or by searching #PPCAchampions. For more direct access, subscribe and receive stories from the campaign in your inbox.
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