Senior team up skilled by Management Academy

Wainwright’s innovative Management Academy has come to the end of its first cycle, delivering tangible results for the business by empowering and up-skilling its management team.

Since the Academy launched in September 2017, staff with line-management responsibility have attended sessions led by Simon Hares of Serial Trainer 7.

Topics covered include strategy development, leadership and influence, performance management, and time management.

The final session, held on Monday, 11 June, focused on operating effective and lawful recruitment processes. All participants in the Management Academy attended, and agreed that their skills have been enhanced as a result of the programme.

“It’s been great to put Wainwright’s management team through this process,” commented HR Director Lisa Saunders. “The benefits of investing in our people are clear for Wainwright, and for the quarrying industry more widely.”


“Wainwright is committed to the growth of its people, and managers play a crucial role in that,” said Brian Rexworthy, Financial Director. “By investing in them, we develop the whole workforce, delivering improved efficiency, productivity and staff satisfaction throughout the business.”

Wainwright coordinates industry litter pick on 13 miles of public highway

Wainwright recently coordinated a combined effort by five quarry companies in the Mendip Hills to clear litter and larger items such as abandoned mattresses and microwaves from 13 miles of public highway. 

As well as organising the project, Wainwright supplied traffic management and supervisors over five days during the week commencing Monday, 16 April.

Other companies involved – all members of the Mendip Quarry Producers (MQP), which funded the litter pick – were Aggregate Industries, Hanson, Tarmac, and Morris & Perry.

With the companies taking it in turns to provide volunteer staff each day, the litter pick focused on roads around the Mendip Hills. More than 550 bags of litter were collected throughout the week, giving a sense of the scale of the operation.

“Littering is an issue that I feel very strongly about,” said Peter Barkwill, Wainwright’s Chief Executive, who initially proposed the idea of an MQP-sponsored litter pick. “Our beautiful landscape is blighted by litter strewn among hedgerows and in verges. By clearing it, we’re improving the situation for everyone, and making a tangible difference to our surroundings.”

Mendip District Council was pleased to support the litter pick, and three of its councillors came to speak with volunteers on the final day, Friday, 20 April. They were Cllr Nigel Taylor, Cllr Philip Ham and Cllr John Parham.

Cllr Parham, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance and Corporate Services, said: “Congratulations to all of the quarry businesses that were involved in this worthwhile project, it was a fantastic effort and you can absolutely see the difference they have made along the route.

“We look forward to working with them all on future events and offer support to see how in the future we can recycle as much of the litter as possible.”

Mr Barkwill added: “We hope to make the litter pick an annual event, to keep on top of this problem in future. It is clear that the government alone cannot afford the cost of keeping our countryside litter-free, so companies like Wainwright and our fellow MQP members need to step up and make a difference for the good of everyone.”

“I found it inspiring to be involved in this project,” said Paul Bishop, a Wainwright employee who took part in the litter pick. “I live locally, and I’m proud that our quarry companies have pulled together to improve the environment in this way.”

Wainwright on track for success at Castle Combe

Wainwright’s Surfacing Division has recently resurfaced some of the track at Castle Combe race circuit in Wiltshire.

As part of the project, the team laid more than 1,100 tonnes of Wainwright’s proprietary Trackphalt material, which was supplied from the company’s Avonmouth Asphalt plant near Bristol.

The substantial and high-profile job required three paving machines to be on site in February 2018. Operatives deployed a method known as ‘echelon paving’, involving pavers laying side by side and in sequence to minimise surfacing joints, thereby enhancing longevity and strength.

 “After undertaking some resurfacing of the circuit in 2015, Wainwright has maintained a strong relationship with Castle Combe,” explained Matthew Moore, Operations Supervisor at Wainwright, whose team undertook the project. “We were then chosen as the preferred contractor to resurface the rest of the track this year – a job that we were delighted to take on.”

In order to execute the scheme as efficiently as possible, Wainwright’s Sales, Asphalt and Technical operations worked in conjunction with the Surfacing Division. This reflects the versatility of the business, which has grown substantially in recent years and is involved in a number of infrastructure projects throughout the South West and beyond.

“The project was managed superbly by Matthew Moore and his team of operatives,” commented Lee Seviour, Wainwright’s General Manager – Surfacing. “It’s a great piece of work to have been involved in, with a high profile locally. It posed a technical challenge that we were pleased to meet.”

Photography by Ian Sweetman

Frome College engineering students visit Moons Hill

A group of engineering students from Frome College visited Moons Hill on Tuesday, 16 January, as part of their careers studies.

The Year 10 students are completing a Level 2 qualification in Engineering. The trip provided them with an insight into how working quarries operate, as well as guidance about potential career paths in the industry.

Hosted by staff at the Somerset Earth Science Centre, the 20-strong group toured Moons Hill Quarry and Wainwright's asphalt plant. They also learned about industry processes such as risk assessments and health and safety.

"We have been extremely lucky that both the Somerset Earth Science Centre and employees from John Wainwright & Company have been working alongside us to set the students assignments," wrote Mrs Smart, Subject Leader for Design, Technology and Engineering at Frome Cellege in a report about the visit. "This gives the students a great opportunity for any future career aspirations, and is also great experience for university applications."

Lisa Saunders, Wainwright's HR Director, said: "We are committed to inspiring the next generation to pursue a career in quarrying, which is a major employer in the local economy. It's always great to welcome young people to Moons Hill, and have a chance to enhance their knowledge of our business."

New 75 tonne excavator delivered to Moons Hill Quarry

The latest addition to Wainwright's expanding fleet of plant machinery is a brand new Volvo excavator, which was recently delivered to Moons Hill Quarry.

The 75-tonne EC750E – a long-anticipated model from the Volvo product range – is powered by a considerable 16-litre Volvo diesel engine and features advanced fuel-efficient technology.

Commenting on the acquisition, Peter Barkwill, Chief Executive, said: “Our quarry machines are regularly reviewed and upgraded to ensure they meet the needs of the business. This new excavator from Volvo - with its power, capacity and fuel efficiency - helps us to maximise productivity and efficiency around the quarry".

University students help build Wainwright’s brand

Students from the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol have undertaken a mock branding exercise on behalf of John Wainwright & Company Ltd.

As part of a campaign to promote an imagined new range of Wainwright Workwear, the students pitched ideas to Tim Gibson, Wainwright’s Communications Director who is also a senior lecturer at the university.

“The students delivered bold suggestions for how to reach a target audience for the brand,” Tim reported. “They demonstrated a profound understanding and appreciation of the heart and heritage of Wainwright as a business.”

The students are studying for a degree in creative and professional writing. A key component of the course is work on real-world campaigns and case studies, and Tim draws on his experience with Wainwright to help shape their learning.

By engaging with Wainwright’s history, market and competitor brands, the students were able to craft a campaign that captured the company’s distinctive spirit and resonated with customers.

By Samuel Whitlock, Yr 1 BA (Hons) Creative & Professional Writing

Wainwright Management Academy goes live

Wainwright launched its new Management Academy last week, with 12 supervisors and managers from across the business attending a two-day course at the Somerset Earth Science Centre.

The sessions were led by Simon Hares of Serial Trainer 7, and proved highly engaging for the attendees. They were interactive in nature, and the feedback has been great.

This is the start of a nine-month training programme for Wainwright’s management team. Its aim is to equip managers with the necessary tools for their role, and reaffirm the company’s commitment to staff development. A second cohort of 12 managers will begin the programme in October.