Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd. (RSS) has held its latest managers’ meeting in Swansea, Wales.

The lifting and rigging equipment supplier welcomed over 25 branch managers, directors, and staff from head office to the in-person event, which took place on 11 January.

The agenda was wide-ranging, and included presentations from Steve Hutin, managing director; Alan Varney, engineering services director; Angela Holmes, financial director; Kevin Moyes, group manager; Erin Thomas, HSE manager; and Steve Simpson, engineering services business development, at Gemmak Engineering Ltd., the company’s fabrication site, situated near de facto headquarters in Pyle, Wales. Sophie Coleman, recently named manager of the Heathrow depot, was among other attendees.

Hutin said: “The overarching theme was the future of the business. It’s important to get together periodically, face-to-face, to regroup and align our thinking across our [10] national depots. We followed an agenda, but managers got an opportunity to feedback and discuss the challenges and opportunities, many of which are shared across the breadth of the UK.”

Hutin confirmed plans to invest over £1million over the next two years in opening three new locations in Glasgow, Bristol, and the West Midlands this year; and two more, likely in the north and south east respectively, in 2025. Simpson was given an opportunity at the managers’ meeting to explain how Gemmak’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities will be further equipped to serve all sites.

As Holmes addressed, the business is prepared for rising short-term costs and a long-term commitment to attracting and retaining talent. A new fiscal year that runs January to December will facilitate projected budget planning, as the company enters another phase of growth and expansion, in alignment with crane hire firms and major infrastructure projects, including some of the country’s most notable developments, such as the Thames Tideway Tunnel and HS2.

Hutin added: “It’s never about creating a C-suite culture where the doors are closed to other members of staff, but it’s necessary to bring together our leadership team so they can each disseminate the plan to their respective depots and places of work. The company is now significant in size, but we must have consistency of message and service, for which we have become renowned.

“Leveraging Gemmak is one example of how we need to be cohesive from Grangemouth [Scotland] to Plymouth, and everywhere between; Steve gave a good overview of what the division is capable of doing, using current projects to demonstrate how it fits with our core offerings.”

• RSS will hold its next managers’ meeting in the summer.

Caption: Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd. held its latest managers’ meeting in Swansea, Wales on 11 January.

Contact for editorial enquiries: Steve Hutin, managing director, Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd., steve@rssgroup.co.uk