AYCLIFFE FABRICATIONS SPONSORS CUSTOMER CARE AWARD AT THE FIRST AYCLIFFE COMMUNITY AWARDS - JANUARY 2007.

We were proud to be sponsors of the Customer Care Award which was presented to local optician Mr McGuiness for his 'outstanding customer care'

The first Aycliffe Community Awards were a chance for local people to vote for members of the community who deserved recognition. David Spensly, who presented the award to Mr McGuiness's son on his behalf said " It has been an honour and privilege to be involved with the awards over the last year. This is the first time anything like this has been undertaken in Newton Aycliffe and with having our company established here for over 25 years we have found that Newton Aycliffe people are very passionate about their community and this ceremony finally gives them recognition"

Aycliffe Fabrications have been working with a university student from the Basque Country - . Ion Aranbarri from Askoitia, Gipuzkoa, Ion is 22 years old and this is his first visit to England.

Ion works for AITEK Automation - a company which manufactures tooling for CNC automated machines to the metal industry. He is also studying for an Engineering Degree at the Institute de la Maquina Herramienta (I.M.H.). His company - AITEK Automation.

Ion is training to be Production Manager with responsibility for Quality Control and as part of his training and studies he has to learn how a foreign company is run and also improve his English.

Ion´s first week has been spent with Christine Bewley one of the Director's of Aycliffe Fabrications learning about the kind of products the company manufactures and also the systems within the company. The web site has been of great interest as Ion hopes when he returns home to tell his company about how easy it is if you have a good web site, to update it regularly with new products. Ion feels this would be a definite advantage to his company. He has already helped to update Aycliffe Fabrications web site and will be able to use these skills on his return.

Christine said - Ion's understanding and speaking of English is excellent and I have learned all about his company and the products they manufacture. The learning process has been a two way thing and it has been very interesting for me to find out about manufacturing in a different country.

Over the next two weeks Ion will learn more about Aycliffe Fabrications. He is going to undertake a site visit with our Estimating Manager, a workshop tour with our Health and Safety Representative and also spend some time with our Production Manager.

We are also hoping to arrange a visit to a local company who use CNC machines. David Spensley Director of Aycliffe Fabrications said "we thought it would be interesting for Ion to see machines being used incorporating the kind of tooling his company manufacture".