Steel Benders duo reflect on time as women in engineering
Two of Steel Benders’ technical sales team are driving each other forward to help the business grow even stronger.
Sales estimator and administrator Jess Hall is learning more and more about the steel forming and profiling firm every day having joined in April 2021.
And technical sales manager Lucy Anderson, who joined the company 16 years ago, is mentoring Jess along the way.
To mark the recent International Women in Engineering Day on June 23, the pair sat in the Steel Benders boardroom and described their roles within a business where Ashleigh Glass is also finance manager and Tania Cooper is managing director.
Important
Operations director Phil Anderson said: “They are both massively important to the business in terms of the customer relationships they have formed – they are second to none.
“Jess and Lucy make the business tick through hard work, confidence and efficiency.
“I do believe it is important to show the younger generation of females that we have moved on from the typical male dominated industries of the past and that they can be just as successful in any field they choose.”
Lucy and Jess have both spent time on the shopfloor to learn more about what goes on after they have secured the work with clients.
Lucy originally started off on reception where she would work on delivery notes, invoicing and answering the phone.
She said: “Doing those things you start to pick up a greater understanding of what we offer, the various section sizes, grades of material as well as the terminology used for items produced for our customers. So, I started doing basic quotes for customers and gradually moved to the more in-depth ones.”
From there she progressed to covering all aspects within the business including accounts and computer-aided design (CAD).
Complex
Lucy, who has always enjoyed maths and previously worked in a bank, reads complex drawings of projects and prices them up for materials and labour.
Steel Benders’ skilled technicians then deliver using a variety of materials, including steel, stainless steel, aluminium, and copper. Such versatility allows them to cater to the unique needs of each client and project.
Jess, who also originally worked on reception when she joined Steel Benders during Covid after working at a local car dealership, works closely with Lucy and manages various clients’ contracts.
“I see myself as a mini-Lucy here at Steel Benders,” said Jess. “She’s a bit of a mentor and I tend to get the drawings after they have been broken down a little, not as complex, before pricing up the job.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do at school, I didn’t think it would be this kind of work because I wasn’t comfortable using maths and numbers as much as I do. But I love being here.
“In fact I was probably born to be in a male-dominated engineering environment, it suits me. Everyone here is brilliant, everyone has a modern way of thinking and I want to progress and do well here.”
Drawings
The drawings can lead to rolling, pressing or cutting projects of all shapes and sizes. Steel Benders can create structural components for buildings, bridges and other infrastructure projects. It can produce parts for machinery, vehicles, and industrial equipment.
Lucy added: “It is like a family here, and Jess helps to keep everyone smiling as the unofficial office banter coordinator.
“We are all good at what we do. It’s a great place to work and the whole industry has moved on a lot, we certainly feel at home as women in engineering at Steel Benders.”
* For more information and to look at Steel Benders’ services check out steelbenders.co.uk
