Encocam is a member of the Apprenticeships Ambassador Network, there are currently 12 apprentices across the company studying skills such as Engineering, IT, Business Administration and Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair.
Encocam is a member of the Apprenticeships Ambassador Network, there are currently 12 apprentices across the company studying skills such as Engineering, IT, Business Administration and Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair. As a result the business has enjoyed a great amount of success and can easily demonstrate what an important part of our future our apprentices are and will become.
To support a countrywide initiate to promote businesses and sectors to be more actively involved in apprenticeship schemes both Elaine Coates, HR Manager and Chris Hartley, HR Trainee Administrator, joined the Apprenticeships Ambassador Network, East of England in October 2018. Elaine is very proud to now be an Employer Apprenticeship Ambassador and Chris equally proud having recently being enrolled as a Young Apprentice Ambassador.
Elaine explains more about the network:
The East of England Employer Apprenticeship Ambassadors are all employers who have recruited apprentices as part of their workforce. As an Ambassador I am passionate about promoting the apprenticeship route within Encocam but also as part of a network of Ambassadors to also raise awareness and increase engagement to meet the needs of employers, communities and individuals across the country.
As a Young Apprentice Ambassador (YAAN) Chris is now part of a community of inspiring, driven apprentices and former apprentices who have chosen to register as Ambassadors in their local area. The YAAN gives today’s apprentices the opportunity to engage and inspire the apprentices of tomorrow.
Ambassadors will periodically be invited to promote apprenticeships to young people, their teachers, parents and employers through a variety of exciting events. In recent years, Ambassadors have found themselves presenting at awards ceremonies, speaking at the House of Commons, fronting national TV apprenticeship campaigns and attending high profile events.
Chris successful joined the network following the completion of the YAAN training day in March 2019 where he was tasked with creating a presentation based on his own apprenticeship story, before delivering the presentation to a room full of apprentices from all over the East of England.
We look forward to continuing our apprentice programme and championing the Apprenticeships Ambassador Network.
Aluminium honeycomb composite panels by BCP now available online: Our bespoke composite division has announced the launch of their new e-commerce platform selling standard composite panels direct from their website for same day despatch.
The 600mm x 600mm aluminium honeycomb composite panels are available in 5 different thickness ranging from 6mm to 25.4mm and are manufactured with ¼ inch (6.4mm) aluminium honeycomb cells.
BCP has been designing and manufacturing aluminium honeycomb composite panels for over 30 years and has a reputation for working with customers to solve their engineering challenges. Whilst BCP manufacture composite panels to various bespoke dimensions and thicknesses, their customers had requirements for smaller composite panels with a quick despatch; their goal with the launch of the e-commerce platform was to meet these demands. BCP aims to expand their online product range to offer additional dimensions in the near future.
Aluminium honeycomb composite panels have unlimited applications and have been used in a wide variety of products including rail and marine interiors and furniture, display structures, vacuum tables, architectural products and flight simulation decks for pilot training.
In addition to their strong, lightweight and durable properties, there are several benefits of using aluminium honeycomb composite panels. They have a longer lifespan than wood, lower energy consumption (reduced weight is the key advantage to saving energy), lower maintenance and refurbishment costs, are fully recyclable, and require less rework due to tighter tolerances. They are also easier to install, with a lower whole life cost compared to alternatives.
BCP’s 600mm x 600mm aluminium honeycomb composite panels are available to buy via their official website.
Based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and established in 1988, BCP has built up a worldwide reputation for working with customers on the design and manufacture of aluminium honeycomb composite panels. BCP’s lightweight but incredibly strong aluminium honeycomb composite panels and structures have unlimited applications and have been used in a wide range of industries including rail, marine, architecture and printing.
HRH The Duke of Kent KG visits Encocam: To mark the end of our 30th Anniversary year we were delighted to be visited by HRH The Duke of Kent KG, a special guest of our passive safety testing product division.
The Duke was greeted by Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Mrs Julie Spence, Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet, Warrant Officer James Smalley and Encocam’s Managing Director, Paul Cope. The Duke met staff from across the business as well as the newly-elected Mayor of Huntingdon, Cllr Steve McAdam.
Paul Cope and Head of Sales and Marketing, Helen Dighton, took the Duke on a tour of the Crash Test Dummy Laboratory. Engineering staff and apprentices were on hand to explain their role in the design, development, engineering, moulding and manufacture of innovative products used by automotive manufacturers and organisations to test vehicle and pedestrian safety world-wide. The display featured specialist deformable crash test barriers and our most recent test products.
It was an honour to welcome His Royal Highness to Encocam to celebrate the international success of the business, and to mark the end of our 30th Anniversary year. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to talk about our products which contribute to vehicle occupant safety across the globe, and to recognise the efforts of our staff who play such a vital role in our success.
Paul Cope, Managing Director
Asking questions about the development and testing process, the Duke was able to witness a series of live impact tests.
Following lunch the Duke was thanked by Paul Cope and was invited to unveil a commemorative plaque and sign the visitor’s book.
A crowd of staff gathered together to see the unveiling and went outside to wave goodbye to His Royal Highness before tucking into a special celebration cake to mark the event.
Herald, our motorcycle division, has had a busy start to 2019 with three shows in February and March. These events have been a great opportunity to debut the new models coming soon, including the British-built motorcycle, the Brute, and the Brat.
Herald Motor Co. entered the motorbike sector over a decade ago initially working with partners to import classically-styled motorbikes. However, our passion for motorbikes meant the goal was always to design and manufacture in Britain. As a division of an award-winning engineering company, we have the capability to design and produce parts in-house and the facilities to develop and manufacture our own British-built motorcycles.
We are proud to announce that the Brute 500 is the first bike to be designed, engineered and built at our headquarters in Cambridgeshire! Having completed the prototype, the next stage is final testing and development ready for sales in late 2019.
Inspired by the racetrack but built for the road, the Brute is our own modern take on the street tracker. These sleek machines are reminiscent of flat track racing, featuring elements of the dirt track racer but with everything required for the bike to be street legal.
Featuring a single four-stroke 449cc engine, the Brute also has adjustable Racetek front and rear suspension with our own unique floating-shock linkage system.
RaceTek, another division of Encocam, manufactures premium motorcycle spares and accessories. The parts are used on the current range of Herald Motor Co. bikes and on high powered performance race bikes.
Our Brat eats up the urban terrain and turns it into your own personal amusement park. Developed with partners to our exact specifications, this bike has an attitude to match its unique rugged looks.
Available in military green, iron grey or copper, it has additional features including monoshock rear suspension and a premium stainless-steel exhaust and will get your adrenaline flowing!
Herald also have a range of apparel available to buy online, including T-shirts, badges and hats, with a new collection of lifestyle and protective clothing launching soon.
To find out more, check out the Herald Motor Co. website
BCP table project with Paul Smith Ltd: Our bespoke composite panel division were delighted to be asked to make two tables for Paul Smith’s new flagship store in an exclusive new shopping district near Kings Cross, Coal Drops Yard. This regenerated area, opened in October 2018 is the site of the 19th century coal warehouses, which were built to store and transfer coal by rail from the north of England across London. Once the marshalling yards of the industrial revolution, Coal Drops Yard is now home to 9,290 square metres of shops and restaurants, housed in the sensitively restored Victorian brick arches.
Sir Paul Smith is an iconic British designer, renown for his creativity and use of fine fabrics, mixing traditional formal wear with modern high fashion. His collections of clothing and accessories are characterised by their inventive use of traditional craftsmanship. This British company founded in Nottingham in 1970 has expanded into over 70 countries. Paul Smith’s original guiding principle of ‘classic with a twist’ remains as the company’s core value. Each Paul Smith design is underpinned by a dry British sense of humour: quirky but not frivolous, eccentric but not silly.
This project presented an engineering challenge due to the length of the tables required and the customer’s requirement for minimal visual support. The BCP team worked closely with the Paul Smith team to design and manufacture a three metre and a four and a half metre long table, which were both one metre wide. This was achieved due to the high strength but low weight properties of the aluminium honeycomb core and aluminium alloy skins.The finished tables are strong enough to hold Paul Smith’s signature clothing and accessories, and during the shop opening they were used as a catwalk for the models! Before they were fitted into the store they were painted in the Paul Smith colours by BCP’s partner company based in Milton Keynes, SCC Coatings, who are also involved in painting trains – very appropriate knowing the history of the store’s location!
The Paul Smith team were thrilled with the outcome, and the tables are a key feature in the Coal Drops Yard store.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of myself and Mark McKay at Paul Smith Ltd to say a thank you to BCP and Encocam Ltd for supplying and installing our tables at Coal Drop’s Yard. An acknowledgement to all involved on the project, particularly during the final weeks of development and last minute problem solving on the workshop floor. As without this, we would not have realised the final product we have in our shop. The tables have received compliments aplenty all round. I certainly would like to keep in touch for any future projects of similar nature, now knowing BCP’s capabilities and services.
George Houzé, Assistant Designer, Paul Smith
We are pleased to announce our Oxford Brookes Racing 2018/19 sponsorship. This follows on from our sponsorship in the previous 2017/18 season and their great performance at Formula Student 2018, Silverstone, where they were Class 1 runners up out of 82 teams, the best performing UK team! They had great results in all categories: 2nd Design, 2nd Skid pad, 3rd Endurance, 4th Cost & Manufacturing and 5th Efficiency. In Formula Student Austria they finished 12th overall out of 30 teams, with a 2nd Skid pad and 3rd Business. Many congratulations to the team, their hard work paid off!
Corex aluminium honeycomb was used in the chassis of the car and Stonehill Engineering provided parts. We will be sponsoring them again for the coming year, 2018-19, when they intend to build a Class 1 combustion and for the first time in OBR history, a Class 2 electric car. It will be interesting to see the difference between the combustion and electric vehicles, in their build and performance.
The team consists of students from faculties across the university, unlike other Formula Student teams, they do not restrict entry to the team to engineering students only. There are many positions in the team apart from the design and build of the car which suit students with other strengths, like Marketing, Business and Finance. The students who lead the project are in their final year and those involved in the design are part of the Engineering faculty, their design and build contributes to their degree. There is a very limited budget, so as part of the business element of the project they approach companies for sponsorship.
See the video below where Scott Ley, Chassis Engineer explains the value of our Corex aluminium honeycomb and how it optimised the performance of the monocoque chassis and their plans to build the first fully moulded chassis, with the lightest and most aerodynamic features yet! We are looking forward to working with the team for the coming season.
Encocam attended The Hunts Post Huntingdonshire Business Awards 2018 on 2nd November, an evening dedicated to recognising and celebrating commercial success in the Huntingdonshire district. The awards, celebrating their 21st year, demonstrate the strength and diversity of local companies and their employees. The high calibre of the entries show the resilience and innovation of the business community in Huntingdonshire and the versatility that allows continued success.
Encocam was nominated for three awards, Apprentice of the Year, The Innovation Award and Business Development Award. We were up against tough competition from the region but came away with great results; Cellbond (Division of Encocam) was the Winner of Business Development, Insight (Road Safety product) was a Finalist for The Innovation Award and Chris Hartley, from our HR department was a Finalist for Apprentice of the Year.
Well done to all involved, it was a great night and the accolades received were well deserved!
Encocam has achieved a Silver in the internationally-renowned RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Health and Safety Awards, the longest-running industry awards scheme in the UK. The RoSPA Awards scheme, which receives entries from organisations around the world, recognises achievement in health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.
The RoSPA Health and Safety Awards have become the key fixture in the health and safety calendar and offer organisations a prime opportunity to prove their ongoing commitment to raising health and safety standards.
Encocam are thrilled to have been presented with a RoSPA Silver Award, which showed that we have achieved a high level of performance, as a result of good management systems and are delivering consistent improvement.
The next step is to work towards the level of excellence required for a Gold Award.
Encocam celebrates 30 years of Innovation and Success: 30 years after Encocam was first started, a celebration event was held for its customers, suppliers and partners. Focusing on Innovation and International Trade, this took place on 27th April 2018 at one of the company’s four sites, where the factory floor was transformed into a temporary conference venue. Visitors had the chance to hear keynote speeches, tour the factories and engineering facilities, visit exhibition stands and see demonstrations of the company’s unique capabilities.
As innovation was a key theme of the event, Founder and Chairman Dr Mike Ashmead explained how Encocam was established in 1988 with the goal of manufacturing aluminium honeycomb to be sold and used all over the world. He described how the company has innovated and grown to now have eight divisions working in seven industries, ranging from energy absorbers and safety test products for the automotive sector, through to architectural panels, motorbikes and racing products all through a desire to meet the needs of customers and solve their engineering challenges. Guest speaker Felicity Burch, Head of Innovation & Digital at the Confederation of British industry (CBI), spoke about innovation in business and how to create a great environment for new ideas
This event was a celebration of innovation. As a group we are always looking for new opportunities and our brands have developed as new products and opportunities have arisen and ideas progressed into product lines. This ethos has helped steer the company in the many directions it has taken and will enable us to grow and develop further.Mike Ashmead, Chairman & Founder
Mike Ashmead, Chairman & Founder
Another theme of the event was international trade as last year, one of Encocam’s divisions received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade and over 80% of everything the company manufactures is exported worldwide. Baroness Brown of Cambridge (Julia King, DBE) delivered the opening keynote talking about engineering and the importance of the manufacturing sector, as well as the role of international trade in growing the economy. She explained how in her role as Business Ambassador, she acts as an advocate of the UK abroad, promoting the UK’s excellence, economy, business environment and reputation as the international trade and inward investment partner of choice.
Other speakers included: Jonathan Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon, John Bridge OBE DL Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and Richard Bond, Business Correspondent for the BBC.
An additional attraction of the event was the opportunity for visitors to tour Encocam’s factories and engineering facilities and find out more about the different divisions and broad product range. They saw where aluminium honeycomb core is manufactured and how it is used to create bespoke composite panels, decorative panels and market-leading crash test barriers. Guests were also able to find out about the development and manufacture of crash test dummies by visiting the dummy lab and moulding facility, as well as learn more about Herald Motor Co. and the company’s aim to develop a British built motorcycle which will be designed and assembled in the UK.
A highlight for many delegates was the demonstration of the newly installed Impact Sled which, complete with crash test dummy, was operated at 20mph. Plus there was the chance to meet the Oxford Brookes Racing Formula Student team and hear about the racing car they are building, which uses Corex aluminium honeycomb in the chassis.
When I started the company in 1988, I did not anticipate how it would develop over the years. Through the hard work and dedication of many people we have grown and continue to do so. This event enabled us to celebrate our success as a business with our customers, suppliers and business partners. We wanted to provide a great chance to network and share ideas, as well as thank everyone who has contributed to Encocam’s success over the past 30 years.
Mike Ashmead, Chairman & Founder
Encocam, a world leading engineering company, announced today that Paul Cope will become Managing Director with immediate effect. He will report to Founder and Chairman of the Board Dr Mike Ashmead, who has been the Managing Director since the company started in 1988.
Encocam is privately-owned and based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, where all products are manufactured and distributed. The company has eight divisions working in seven main industries, ranging from passive safety test equipment (including crash test barriers and crash test dummies) for the automotive sector, through to architectural panels, motorbikes and racing products. Over 80% of everything manufactured is exported worldwide and they employ approximately 200 people.
This year Encocam will celebrate 30 years of success with an anniversary event held on 27th April at their site in Huntingdon. Guests will have the opportunity to hear keynote speeches focusing on innovation, global trade and operations and tour the engineering facilities.
Over the last three decades, our reputation in the industries we are involved in has gone from strength to strength. We are always pushing the market forward as a business with new products that aim to meet our clients’ needs, supported by our continued investment in people and facilities. Paul has already been working with us on developing our systems and operating efficiency. I am confident he is the right person to drive the business forward as we enter our next decade, while I continue to focus on business development and innovation.
Dr Mike Ashmead, Founder and Chairman of the Board
Mr Cope has a degree in Physics and started his career in avionic systems research as an electronics engineer with GEC-Marconi. After reading accountancy and tax, he joined the medical solutions manufacturer, Baxter Inc. in his first financial role. Further accounting and commercial roles followed with Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Group and Courtaulds plc as Finance Director. Next Paul moved into general business management running a Courtaulds multiple site packaging business. Following this he took the opportunity to play a part in restructuring an operating division of the printer St Ives plc as Managing Director and subsequently newly acquired businesses with RPC plc. Paul was Managing Director of March Foods Ltd until 2014 and has been working with other business interests since.
30 years of innovation – In 2018 Encocam will have been in the engineering business for three decades and are planning a big celebration with customers and business partners. We have been through much change over the years, adapting to our customer requirements and industry demands, to establish ourselves as the world leading engineering company that we are today – definitely a cause for celebration!
It’s hard to believe that it’s five years since we celebrated our last landmark, our 25th anniversary of engineering and manufacturing success. We held a weekend of educational presentations, networking events and fun activities for employees and customers.
We were pleased to welcome guests to celebrate with us and hear about the 25 years of opportunities and challenges we have faced, from decreasing budgets to increasing competition and market uncertainty. Encocam has always been a champion of innovation which has kept the company strong through the years and will continue to do so. The celebration included a number of technical and keynote speakers giving presentations, including the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, MIRA, Altair, the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, and our Project Engineers. This was followed by tours of our sites. Key suppliers and stakeholders attended giving an opportunity for networking.
In April 2018 we will be welcoming suppliers, business partners and guests to join our celebrations of 30 years of innovation and successful business and growth. We will have guests from the automotive testing industry, looking at the past, present and future of the sector. We will be showing our guests round our facilities and share our exciting product plans. In addition, we hope to have a small number of exhibitors, who are key to the sector, showcasing the latest advances and technology. The other areas of our business will also be represented with guest speakers and exhibitors from the motorcycle industry, Formula Student motor racing and bespoke composite panels.
Encocam is thrilled to be in the Top 10 of Grant Thornton’s List of Emerging Companies in Cambridgeshire, as reported by The Cambridgeshire News on 16th November 2017.
The Cambridgeshire companies pushing at the door of the top 100 in the county reveal a diverse collection of growing companies, with a wide range of sectors represented in this list of ‘ones to watch’. After a year of investment, Cambridgeshire’s top companies have stormed on in the last 12 months, reporting growth that outstrips the national average, says the 2017 edition of The Cambridgeshire Ltd study, conducted annually by financial and business advisers Grant Thornton. It provides an in-depth financial analysis of the county’s 100 largest companies which are both owned and managed from within Cambridgeshire.
Twenty-five names of emerging companies, including Encocam, made the report, which identifies the top 100 businesses in the county. Between them they generated a combined turnover of £365m in the year, achieving a combined compound turnover growth of 16 percent in the process. The EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation) of these companies has increased by 21 percent over the year, showing that profits have not been sacrificed in the pursuit of expansion.
We are pleased that our continued growth and success has been recognised in this way. This gives confidence to our employees and demonstrates our growing presence in the industries we are part of.