Delapena Honing Equipment appoints head of business development

Mr Williams joins the Cheltenham-based company after a 20 year career as an Aerosystems Engineering Officer in the Royal Air Force; he retired holding the rank of Squadron Leader from the Eurofighter programme. Following the RAF, he moved into industry, forging a career in the aerospace sector as a provider of engineering support solutions. "The call to join Delapena was one of those opportunities that rarely come along; to join a company that is enthusiastic and forward thinking, that is also willing to give me an almost free-hand in developing the company's sales strategy," says Mr Williams. That free-hand does come with challenges attached, though, and Mr Williams along with his colleagues at Delapena are aiming to double the company's turnover during the course of the next few years. Part of the new role will be to expand on Delapena's role as a solution provider, not just a manufacturer of honing machines, tooling and fixturing. "In the short time that I have been here, I can see the potential that Delapena has within its organisation in terms of skills, experience, and in-depth knowledge of the honing process. We have to capitalise on this ability we have as a solution provider, not just a supplier of honing equipment. "With these challenges in mind, it was extremely reassuring to see the high level of interest in Delapena at the MACH exhibition. We received in excess of 100 good enquiries and are confident that at least 25% of these will result in new business in the near future. Having experienced numerous exhibitions in my time working in the aerospace sector, these are very positive figures indeed and bode well for the future success of the business." Image: Phil Williams, who has joined Delapena Honing Equipment as head of business development