Inclusivity with Boneham & Turner

Any company which stays in business for more than a century can truly be said to understand both its markets and its customers’ needs.

Such is the case with Sutton-in-Ashfield-based manufacturer Boneham & Turner, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

The company is a leading manufacturer and supplier of standard and special engineering components to the UK, Europe and United States. It specialises in drill bushes, dowel pins, locating parts, shims and hydraulic sealing plugs, as well as supplying a wider range of components.

Quality and excellence have been the founding principles of the business throughout the decades and this attention to detail has allowed the company to remain at the forefront of sectors including; aerospace, automotive, motorsport, power generation, defence and machine-building.

But another factor has also played a part in its ongoing success – innovation. Investing in product development has helped the company to retain its pre-eminent position in its various markets. However, innovation comes in many forms and is not restricted to the production process.

The company has also retained its status due to its ability to be open to new ideas and investment in its strongest asset – its people. This is now manifesting itself in the company’s decision to become one of the pioneers of Made in the Midlands’ new Inclusivity campaign.

Breaking down the barriers that confine businesses has been too long in coming and this new campaign aims to change this.

Put simply, the campaign is about maximising the potential of a business by ensuring its entire workforce feels respected, valued and engaged. In doing so, they will be motivated to do the best for the business. The campaign goes beyond any legal requirement and is intended to stimulate creativity, foster innovation and encourage drive.

Stacy Denton-Beaumont, sales manager at Boneham & Turner will be spearheading the company’s Inclusivity strategy. She said: “We were very interested in this campaign immediately that we learned about it. We wanted to find better ways of engaging with the entire workforce and this will allow us to do just that.

“We will be setting up an employee engagement group later in the year and the work we do now will stand us in good shape when it comes to implementing our plans.”

She added: “We have been in the area for over 100 years and we are always looking at new ways in which we can continue to be relevant to the local area and this may be crucial in that. We are very proud of the firm’s heritage – it’s a fourth generation family business so we want to continue to promote best practice wherever we can.”

The firm’s enlightened attitude extends beyond its own workers and it is keen to support other members of the community looking for work. Whilst trying to attract more women and young people into engineering, it is also looking at possibly supporting ex-offenders and other excluded groups.

“Many ex-offenders are happy to be rehabilitated and they often have skills which can be put to good use in the workplace,” said Stacy.

“We are firmly of the belief that people deserve a second chance and the Inclusivity campaign lends itself to this, which is another reason why we think it’s very positive.”