Master Cutler, Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL and Mistress of Hallamshire, Rachel Abbott visited NEC (Nuclear Energy Components) yesterday, they met with Chairman, Vince Middleton and Sales Director, David Greenan on a visit to the company’s manufacturing facilities in Bradwell, Derbyshire.
Sales Director, David Greenan said “It was an honour to welcome Julie and Rachel to the facility and be able to show them how this business has evolved from making high nickel content fittings for the ice cream industry in the 1940s to now supplying high quality engineered components into the nuclear, oil & gas, automotive, aerospace, power generation sectors with long term contracts supplying safety critical components into the nuclear power generation industry.”
Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL is the 383rd Master Cutler in the history of The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire – but she is only the second Lady Master Cutler in that 400-year period. The Master Cutler is the voice of manufacturing in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, representing manufacturing locally, nationally and internationally. Julie was honoured in Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June 2019, with a Damehood for her work with heritage and particularly in her role as Chair of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust. She is Chair of Robson Handling Technology based in Sheffield and is a non-executive Director of AESSEAL engineering group based in Rotherham.
Dame Julie Kenny said “It is always a pleasure to visit some of the highly innovative engineering businesses we have in the region. Supply chain challenges, developing more sustainable processes and investing in future skills are key themes that our manufacturing sector is facing. I’m delighted to see NEC embracing these challenges with investment in solar panels for the factory, investment in skills and training to develop the businesses future leaders and with the move to become an employee ownership trust which will secure the future of the business, its skills and the customer service culture that drives the high standard of quality the business is known for.”
The Cutlers’ Company was established to maintain standards and quality of Sheffield manufactured cutlery and steel products and to promote the name of Sheffield. The ‘Made in Sheffield’ make launched in 2005 is co-owned by the Cutlers’ Company, Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and NEC are proud to be holders of the mark which is recognised worldwide as a symbol of quality.
This year, Rachel Abbott takes on the role of Mistress of Hallamshire, she is a Director of the Cobra Group of companies which includes Cobra Exhausts a specialist manufacturer of stainless-steel automotive exhausts and Cobra Manufacturing specialising in metal fabrication and welding.
Rachel Abbott said “It is good to see such a long-standing business secure into the future and with exciting plans for innovation and growth. The diversity of work the company is involved in is great to see with safety critical nuclear components, awards trophies, fabrication of a large landmark sculpture for the region amongst the many projects currently being manufactured.”