We recently sat down with Karina Wakefield, Sales and Production Coordinator at S and A Engineering, to discuss her, S and A Engineering, as well as her journey within the company.
Q: Karina thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. How long have you been with S and A Engineering? And please tell us a little bit about you and your past experience?
A: I have been with S and A Engineering since 2008. I know Andrew; the MD, and he asked if I was free one day to do a bit of painting on one of my days off from Uni. I think I was a little faster than he expected so he set me to work sorting through and organising old paperwork. Maybe that was his intention all along; he invited me back the following week to do some more filing and sorting: and things kind of progressed on from there. The only area of the business I haven’t been involved in over the years is building blowers (yet!).
Q: As the Sales and Production Coordinator, what does the average day look like for you at S and A Engineering?
A: Busy and a whole lot of everything!
Since Andrew has taken a back seat and enjoying some well-earned time away from the office; I’ve become one of the main points of contact for technical support and sales as well as a key contact for some of our top customers. Some of my role is shared with Matty, our Workshop Team-Lead, which includes planning in workshop repairs, pricing and processing repairs, ordering parts and making sure the information the guys have in the workshop is accurate and helpful.
Q: S and A Engineering boasts an expert blower repair and refurbishment service. How does your repair service set you apart from your competitors? What do you see as the most important reason to have a robust blower repair and maintenance plan in place?
A: Whilst we have been told we’re ‘not the cheapest’ for blower repairs, we do pride ourselves in offering a sound repair and a helpful, friendly service. This is why many of our customer either stick with us, or come back to us.
A good repair means reducing costs to the customer overtime. Coupled with a maintenance plan and regular check-ins with the machine, blower users will see the benefit of less downtime caused by blower failures. A common issue we see is lubrication failure: either the wrong oil used for the operating conditions, or not checking up on the machine and topping up the oil as needed. It’s a relatively easy step to prevent the blower from damaging itself.
Q: Since opening in 1995, how has S and A Engineering changed?
A: Well, I wasn’t there in 1995, but I’ve seen the photos, I’m sure many people who have started up on their own can imagine what a one-person repair shop might look like. After several ‘expansions’ into neighbouring units, we moved to Bolton in 2016 which has offered us a much more coherent workflow process.
We have worked hard over the years to put in place documentation; processes and procedures which have grown with the company. From working out pricing on paper and it getting lost along the way, to a fairly robust digital system; this has drastically improved traceability which has helped us to achieve and maintain ISO 9001.
Q: What’s your favourite part of working at S and A Engineering?
A: Successfully helping customers.
I know, sounds like a ‘company marketing cliché’; but genuinely; nothing gives me job satisfaction more than being able to help resolve a customer’s issue. That might be over-the-phone troubleshooting or being able to get a blower to a customer same-day in a breakdown situation. Sure, it can be stressful (and I take it a bit too much to heart if things don’t go as well as I know they can), but it is a great feeling when everything goes right, and the customer is happy.
For nearly 30 years, S and A Engineering have specialised in blower repair and supply, with extensive experience in the sale, maintenance and repair of roots-type positive displacement air blowers.
From our base in Bolton, conveniently located centrally within the UK, we are able to carry out both in-house repairs and onsite maintenance of numerous brands of air blowers. Our blower repair and refurbishment services offer a cost effective and more environmentally friendly alternative to purchasing a new machine. Additionally S and A Engineering also carry a range of spares parts for blowers.
Do you have a question about our blower maintenance and repair services? Get in touch today.
