W.G. Jones Ltd

Flying with precision

Originally specialising in jig boring, W.G.Jones Ltd has evolved in terms of the technology it offers, expanding to complex and high precision CNC milling, CNC turning, CNC grinding, plus a range of complex assemblies and kits.

The W.G.Jones Ltd website highlights five crucial factors; Precision, Reliability, Quality, Value for Money and, often most importantly of all, ensuring Delivery On Time. This approach has proved to serve the company well, with the organisation supplying components assemblies and kits to the Aerospace industry for over 40 years.

Its processes and procedures, coupled with the fact that its premises are open seven days a week, have clearly worked, with W.G.Jones Ltd achieving SC21 Bronze for seven years, consecutively. This award has strict criteria, focusing on the quality of service to customers, and includes W.G.Jones Ltd’s supply chain. SC21 focuses on delivery, quality and sustainable improvement. It was able to maintain the Bronze award due to its ‘continual focus on customers’ needs and on-time delivery.’ It has achieved this accolade whilst doubling it’s order book over the same period of time.

It is this level of dedication that has attracted high profile OEM’s. Away from the aerospace industry it also has clients from the defence, motorsport and telecommunications, as well as the oil and gas, industries, each sector requiring a similar level of close observation and dedication in order to maintain safety, efficiency and customer satisfaction. This demand has led to a 30 per cent expansion of its current freehold premises in Verwood, Dorset, with construction work on the building due to begin in early 2018. However, it is worth noting that the current premises is impressive, with the 25,000 square feet building allowing for a diverse range of services for W.G.Jones Ltd’s clients.

As well as increasing the capacity of the company, upgrading current machinery and adding new plant space, the extension will also allow for a wider diversity of products and services, allowing for more potential growth in the future, as clients will have more options to choose from.

While the quality of parts and extension of facilities is important for W.G.Jones Ltd, there is also an emphasis on growing and developing the skills of its workforce. In the wake of Brexit, there is concern about where the next generation of technically skilled workers will come from, and alternatives are something that businesses have recently been looking into. The organisation has a policy where it focuses on employing locally, while at the same time securing that talent within the company framework. Essentially the idea is that not only does W.G.Jones Ltd want to develop talent, it wants to make sure the talent stays within the company!

This approach has paid off and the recent employment statistics within the company back this up. On average, four apprentices are taken on every year within W.G.Jones Ltd. In 2014, from 36 applicants, 12 made it to the interview stage. From that stage, four were employed and three years later 18 apprentices are still involved with the group, a reflection of its ethos: ‘Strong on skills and big on opportunity.’

The development of this workforce is vital due to the nature of the work. In order to produce these intricate and complicated products it is important that people are able to call on CAD design skills as well as being able to handle CAM simultaneous multi axis machining and simulation. The benefit of being able to use this machinery is that this in turn can reduce cycle times, improve the surface finish and extend the tool life, but in order to maximise these advances you need the right people to operate them.

W.G Jones Ltd has invested heavily in training and up to date plant infrastructure, and it is clearly an organisation investing in the future of its employees, creating the opportunity for apprentices and new staff to reach personal objectives, and thus provide them with security. This, in turn, will give W.G.Jones Ltd the sustainability and growth it is looking for in its strategy.

In short, W.G.Jones Ltd is clearly a company that values hard work, and wants to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to develop and push further. This in turn is what has resulted in a turnover of over £6 million with a workforce of 63 employees. While it takes precision and focus in order to produce components, it is that attention to detail and determination that will serve all aspects of the company well into the future, from the apprentices, right through to the very top level of management.

W.G. Jones Ltd
Products: Aerospace precision components, assemblies and kits