AN INTERVIEW WITH Chris Clark

GETTING TO KNOW FALCON'S NEW OPS DIRECTOR

Tell us a bit about your work background.

I left school in June 1995 to take up an apprenticeship as an injection moulding technician within an FMCG company. I then moved to CTP Davall, where I progressed from moulding technician to project manager, working on a new technology for a joint venture between CTP and Xienna Technology, before becoming Development and Product Introduction Manager working within the NPI department.

I joined Rosti UK in March 2008 as a Production Engineer for all the non-automotive product lines. After the first year I moved to become Project Manager, which involved project managing new tooling through to SOP, travelling to China to approve tooling as well as keeping the production engineering functioning. 
I was promoted to the position of Operations Manager in 2011 for the Larkhall site, during the next 6 years we extended the manufacturing area to include a large mould cell, built a 3-coat paint line, developed a ‘Ceracon Centre of Excellence’ within the Rosti Group and extended the warehouse, revenue grew from £14Mpa to £45Mpa

During the development and launch of the new model of the Toyota Auris in 2011/12 Rosti UK were the manufacturer of the front centre armrest and speaker assemblies. I was fortunate to get exposed to TPS (Toyota Production System) and the project was a prime example of an almost perfect project launch. After seeing this in action and subsequent project for Toyota I became a firm believer in the TPS (Toyota Production System), based on a Right First Time (RFT) quality approach from concept to production both for Toyota and their full supply chain. Another key area the Toyota ‘live and breathe is the concept of Kaizen, not a kaizen event but true kaizen. Kaizen is an everyday / every hour constant approach to continuous improvement, incremental improvements that add to the end goal of being better tomorrow than we were today.

What motivated you to join Falcon?

My 30-year working career has all been in the plastics sector across various industries, including electronics, medical, industrial, optics and automotive. Over the past 15 years my focus has been on the automotive sector. 
After so long in the same sector I felt it was time to try something new and Falcon was exactly the type of organisation I was looking to be part of - a long-established company with a good track record, great product innovation and development, leadership that is forward thinking and one that fully manufactures its product in Scotland for the UK market.

What do you think you can bring to such a well-established, trusted brand?

I think I will bring a different perspective to Falcon, a much more process-driven approach than the company is used to. 

What skills or qualities do you think will be most important in your new role?

Openness in both mind and approach - I think this is the most important quality anyone can bring to anything they do. I have been the lead in many continuous improvement projects and led the change management process within my previous company. The change management process was centred around changing the way we managed manufacturing, from job scheduling/planning, machine utilization, PPM-TPM, waste reduction, and improved competitive advantage.

I like to create an open culture based on continuous improvement, a culture of trust where everyone's voice is heard. There is always more than one way to solve a problem. Everything is not black and white; you need to learn to manage and operate in the 'grey'. Implementing improvements/initiatives effectively needs to be done with the team.

I am also a big believer in personal development and over the period 2006 – 2020, via a mix of day release, weekend work, etc I gained a BEng in Engineering Management, a BEng Hons in Polymer Engineering, an LSS Blackbelt and an MBA from Strathclyde University's school of business.

I was able to put what I’d learned in my MBA to good use in the 'real world' as I supported my previous company’s Larkhall site through the pandemic, overseeing significant site alterations, all the time gaining valuable knowledge of managing the company P&L.

How has technology impacted manufacturing? 

Technology has improved performance with the introduction of automation both within manufacturing processes such as robotics or auto changeovers, as well as the 'hidden processes' which include MRP, EDI and automated data gathering. However, the downside to some of these improvements is increased rigidity within the operation. There needs to be a good balance between automated processes and simple flexible solutions that allow operations to still be able to have quick turnaround low batch/high mix capability.

What have been the biggest changes you've seen in manufacturing?
I would say the drive for low-cost manufacturing at any cost to a more balanced approach based on 'reshoring' Due to product markets, product requirements, social injustices, etc. When I began my career there were several large companies across the Scottish central belt manufacturing all types of things - computers, mobile phones, medical devices etc. Over the next 10 years many of these companies moved their manufacturing to Asia and, as a result, most of the supply base followed them. The companies that remained either through no choice based on their products or thought of a ‘new way’ to operate. Now we see Asia is not as low cost as it once was and this, combined with supply chain risk that can arise during crises like the pandemic has seen several companies now 'reshoring' their products to reduce their risk, however finding a massive skills gap that is holding them back, this is an opportunity for us all.

What are your immediate and longer-term goals?

My immediate goal is to get up to speed with the current Falcon operation and understand how we currently operate. A longer-term goal is to develop a good kaizen culture that is self-directed by the front-line managers, leading to improved product flow through the site.

Tell us a bit about yourself away from work
I used to be a keen cyclist, both mountain bike and road bike, however when I started my MBA, I had to dedicate 30-40 hours per week to it on top of my day job which left me no time to get on the bike, but I plan to get back in the saddle this year.

I have two children and four grandchildren.

I enjoy cooking and spending time in the kitchen, my favourite is Indian food and perfecting steaks. I look forward to spending time with our product development chef Shaune Hall and getting some tips from him!