Not many can boast a near half century long loyalty to an organization. John Simpkin, former QA/QC Manager at Sika and Incorez retired in June of 2021. He winds the clock back to the mid-70s and looks back on his career development within Sika.
After nearly 47 very enjoyable years working for Sika and Incorez, it is now time to move into retirement and let someone else have a go. However, I will take with me many memories as the company has developed through the years.
My career path started as a laboratory technician with a rubber belt manufacturer in Leyland. I then spent a year at BAC on Strand Road in Preston and was involved with parts supply for airplaines.
Liquid Plastics Expansion
When I joined Liquid Plastics, the role involved quality control (QC) as a fulltime function. This was initially a simple testing process, undertaken by only three people. We managed to maintain the same staff levels throughout this time by simplifying QC testing and enhancing automation levels. Furthermore, we invested in equipment that would help us reduce waste and improve efficiency.
In the 1980's, Liquid Plastics acquired two companies. I helped to set up the QC functions for both businesses.
Over the years, Liquid Plastics expanded its overseas operation by building a manufacturing plant in Belgium and North America. In 2009, Sika acquired Liquid Plastics. A few years later, SAP was introduced, which included a staggering list of 40,000 operating codes and an impressive level of control on all company processes.
The development of products under the Sikalastic brand name gave me many overseas travel opportunities assisting other companies in the manufacture of the products.
Future Plans
As might be expected, I have seen many changes over the years, not only in site expansion, but also in attitudes. Nowadays teamwork and good communication are key to a successful business, and this works well in Sika. Probably the most significant change since my early days is in health and safety standards. Modern safety standards are very high and maintained via a strict EHS regime.
Coming back to the present day; there are many plans for the department going forwards. Plans for the future include utilising specialised software to analyse trends and predict failures, and also to set up Quality Engineer roles to work on projects designed to increase automation of batch testing, reduce costs and drive improvement.
I have many happy memories of my time working for Sika, particularly from the opportunities I’ve had to travel abroad for work. But what I’ll miss the most is the day-to-day variety of the job, the challenges and solutions, and the dedicated team of people who bring success to the company.
Thanks to a clear culture of flexibility and trust in talents, Sika is able to both create and develop individual career opportunities; something John has taken full advantage of over the years. We wish John a happy and fulfilling retirement and thank him for his long service at Sika.