Kirsty Davies-Chinnock is the Managing Director of Professional Polishing Services Ltd who are the UK market leader in mechanical surface finishing of flat products.
Producing approximately 30,000 tonnes per year their finishes feature daily in the lives of everyone in the UK and around the world. She is also the Chair of the British Stainless Steel Association as well as holding other Non-Exec and Trustee roles.
- Tell us a little bit about your business…
Professional Polishing Services polishes stainless steel and other non ferrous metals to a variety of finishes. The industries we service are myriad such as nuclear, automotive, pharmaceutical, food and drink production, shop fitting, architectural, tanks, rail, aerospace and marine. From taking a paracetamol tablet to walking past Grand Central station to eating in a restaurant, our finishes are part of everyone’s daily life and they feature all around the world. All the material we polish is free issue and we often work with our stockholder customer and their supply chain on larger projects such as Hotel La Tour Milton Keynes which opened earlier this year.
- How did you get into the industry?
The traditional way – by accident! I came here for 6 weeks in between collage terms 33 years ago and was very lucky to find something I really enjoy doing,
- What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry?
At the moment the biggest opportunity and challenge is definitely energy. There are multiple opportunities to innovate and reduce energy consumption, but we use a lot of energy to run our machines. Currently we are working on a huge investment plan to be carbon neutral by 2024.
Other opportunities focus on stainless steel being such a fantastic metal for sustainability. The European manufacturers produce material with 85% re-cycled content and we haven’t yet calculated the end of life for polished stainless steel in architectural environments due to the Chrysler building still going strong nearly 100 years on.
- How would you describe your leadership style?
I am a fairly forthright person and over the years I have definitely learned that this style doesn’t work for everyone. I like to lead by example and my team know 100% that I have their back if they need support. I love to see people develop and figure out new ways to do things that suit them better – my way of doing things is right for me, it’s not necessarily right for anyone else and I like working with the team to see how they can be their best by adjusting systems and processes.
- How do you get the most out of the people who work for you?
Communication! And not asking them to do something that I’m not prepared to do. Just because I’m the MD does not make me more important that anyone else here, I just have a different role.
I don’t make excuses and I don’t lie. If I get something wrong then I apologise and put it right. The team’s average length of service is 11 ½ years – averaged from 30+ years to our latest apprentice who started in January so we must be doing something right for such a great team to want to spend their whole working lives here.
Reward and recognition are two of my favourite ways to make sure people are appreciated, from a bacon sandwich to our long service financial rewards.
- What are the most crucial elements to your business running smoothly and being successful?
Communication is critical. Between team members here internally and to our customers and the supply chain as a whole. We are working more on transferring knowledge into the industry on white papers and case studies to make sure that people can easily select the right finish for the right environment and product.
- How has the past 12 months been for you?
Busy but our industry has been impacted by the variety of crisis such as material shortage, increased costs, energy price hikes and recruitment issues. Each week it seems to be another crisis that can potentially impact on UK manufacturing and it’s a testament to how resilient we are as an industry that we just roll up our sleeves and get through it.
- What will the next 12 months look like for your business?
We have several prestigious projects that should go live in 2023 and that’s always exciting when we can see our finishes on some amazing architectural designs. Apart from that we will be focusing on becoming self sufficient with energy production and continuing to work with several universities on de-carbonising mechanical polishing so lots happening as well as the usual day job.
- What are the highlights of your career so far?
I’ve being doing this for 33 years so there are a lot but at the UK Metals Expo this year a Director of a stainless steel service centre in Turkey came up to me and said he employed the only female service centre manager in Turkey and he’d promised her that he’d get a selfie with me for her as I was her inspiration.
- What’s the biggest business mistake that you’ve learnt from?
Over-extending. Always have money in the bank.
- What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
Eat That Frog.
Do the task that you least want to do first. It’s always better to have done it than still feel it hanging over you.
