Introducing two of Blackhall Engineering’s finest – Service Director, Simon Lomax and Service Engineer, Howard Wilson.

Amidst the whir of machines and the spirit of innovation, two of Blackhall Engineering's finest highlight the company’s unwavering dedication and exceptional contribution to customer satisfaction. This Q&A article delves into the stories of these individuals, exploring their journeys, accomplishments, and the impact they've made within the fabric of Blackhall Engineering.

Q&A – Simon Lomax (Service Director)

As the Service Director at Blackhall Engineering, can you provide an overview of the role and responsibilities that come with your position?

As the Service Director at Blackhall Engineering, my role is aimed at ensuring our Service Division meets the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and innovation. At the core, my position involves leading and overseeing the Service Division, ensuring that we deliver exceptional after-sales support and maintenance services to our clients worldwide.

I lead a team of highly skilled engineers and technicians, creating a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and professional development. It's my responsibility to ensure the team remains motivated, well-trained, and equipped to handle the complexities of our engineering projects.

I play a critical role in strategic planning, aligning the service division's goals with the broader objectives of Blackhall Engineering. This includes developing and implementing strategies to enhance service delivery, drive customer satisfaction, and ensure operational excellence.

What strategies or initiatives does Blackhall Engineering implement to ensure a high standard of service for clients, and how do you oversee the execution of these strategies?

At Blackhall Engineering, our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of service for our clients is at the forefront of everything we do. To achieve this, we've implemented a series of strategic initiatives, which I oversee and drive forward to ensure their successful execution and alignment with our overarching business objectives. Recognising that our team's expertise is crucial to our service quality, we invest in ongoing training and professional development. This includes technical training and leadership development programs.

We've developed detailed risk management protocols and contingency plans. This proactive approach ensures that we maintain a safe working environment under all circumstances, reinforcing our clients' trust in our capabilities.

In your experience, how has the valve landscape evolved, and how does Blackhall Engineering stay at the forefront of industry trends?

I have witnessed first-hand the shift towards smarter, more sustainable, and valve safety related technologies, including the integration of digital technologies for predictive maintenance allowing even the oldest of valves to be digitally connected. The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and digitalisation has transformed traditional valve systems into intelligent assets capable of real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive maintenance.

Can you share some key principles or values that guide the service department at Blackhall Engineering?

At Blackhall Engineering, our service department is guided by a set of core values: Honesty, Openness, Trust, Teamwork, Improvement and Professionalism. These values are more than just words; they are the foundation of our operational ethos at Blackhall Engineering's service division. They guide our actions, inform our decisions, and drive us toward our goal of being the most respected valve professionals on the planet.

How do you foster a collaborative and innovative environment within the service team to address complex challenges and deliver exceptional results?

Creating a collaborative and innovative environment at Blackhall Engineering is pivotal to our ability to tackle complex projects and deliver exceptional results. Our approach is centred around cultivating a culture where every team member feels valued, empowered, and inspired to contribute their best.

We prioritise clear and open communication within the team. This involves regular team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and feedback loops that encourage everyone to share their ideas, concerns, and suggestions.

This means bringing together experts from different areas of our company, including engineering, Dean Wheatley’s sales support, supply chain and R&D to work on projects. Thus empowering our team members to use their initiative and make decisions. We trust them to lead projects, explore new ideas, and find creative solutions to challenges. This empowerment boosts their confidence and fosters a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.

As the Service Director, what role do you see service engineering playing in the overall success and growth of Blackhall Engineering in the coming years?

As we look to the future, the role of the service division at Blackhall Engineering is set to become even more central to the delivery of our company's vision. In the coming years, I see the service division not just as a support function but as a key driver of innovation, customer experience, and sustainability. As environmental concerns become increasingly important to our customers and the wider society, the service division will lead our sustainability initiatives. This includes optimising product lifecycle management and reducing waste through efficient repair and refurbishment practices.

Q&A Howard Wilson (Service Engineer)

Can you tell us a bit about your role as a service engineer at Blackhall Engineering and what a typical day looks like for you?

I’m not sure if there is such a thing as a typical day as each one is different. I can be inspecting valves in the dark, damp depths of a 60-metre shaft in the heart of London one day and the next, operating and freeing gears on a remote reservoir with nothing but rolling hills in the distance. These sites have no bounds, and we cover the length and breadth of the country. In fact, we find ourselves wherever there is a problematic valve. That being said, there is a great deal of planning that goes into the logistics and organisation to fulfil our commitments to reservoir owners and clients alike.

My role is predominantly working on-site within British dams, reservoirs and water treatment works, carrying out investigations on existing customer assets. This means occasionally working in challenging environments but always adhering to the latest health and safety procedures. I then provide extensive customer support, whether for the repair or replacement of that asset. The role also encompasses valve installation and commissioning, fault finding and report writing. On returning from site, I will often carry out any preliminary design work, calculations, 3D stress analysis, detailed drawings and material selection to speed up the lead time process and assist with resources in the design office.

What inspired you to pursue a career in ‘valvology’, and how did you find your way to Blackhall Engineering?

My career in valves, unbeknown to me at the time, started as an apprenticeship in the early 1980’s on the shop floor – machining, assembling and testing valves. Having discovered a love for technical drawing, the natural progression for me was then the drawing office where I feel my passion for valves developed. I had been in the design arena for around 20 years designing butterfly valves for a multitude of industries before meeting with James Blackhall, the managing director of Blackhall Engineering. The company was a mid-sized family business with good technical knowledge and understanding and who were not afraid to take on the big projects with prestigious clients. I hadn’t come across the term before joining, but with the Blackhall philosophy and my appetite to strive for the best in what I can achieve, I feel like ‘Valvologist’ is where I am right now.

As a service engineer, what do you find most rewarding about your work, and how do you ensure the satisfaction of your clients?

From a design aspect, working on site can be very insightful, full of learning which in turn leads to many questions necessitating problem solving. This can naturally assist with technical efficiencies in design, manufacturing, and new developments within the Blackhall business for future projects. The feeling that you can make a difference is both satisfying and rewarding. From this, I believe the client can gain confidence in, not just our technical capabilities but our ability to offer the right solutions coupled with a quality service.

Can you share a memorable experience or project that you’ve worked on?

That’s a difficult one. They have all been memorable in some form as every job throws up its own challengers along the way. However, one of the standout projects that left an impression, was for Northumbrian Water and the replacement of some old, broken, open mesh gearing that were operating sluice valves on a reservoir from circa 1880.

The valves were in a wet tower and had a historic lean dating back to the original build which had an adverse effect on the valve operation. More recently, during an inspection in 2020, it was noted that the headgear was fractured and deemed too dangerous to operate. They later became inoperable, and the client was under pressure to restore their operation or become subject to non-negotiable completion date fines.

From this, Blackhall implemented a hydraulic stainless-steel solution, utilising modern laser and tried and tested plum line techniques to ensure perfect centreline alignment between the 140-year-old valve and the new hydraulic cylinder within the leaning tower. This was all within the compliant deadlines and during the cold winter months, but it felt like a great sense of achievement for the whole Blackhall team.

To conclude

In conclusion, the stories of these two service personnel at Blackhall Engineering serve as inspiring examples of dedication, expertise, and the profound impact that individuals can have within an organisation. Their commitment to excellence, problem-solving abilities, and customer-focused approach not only elevate the quality of service provided but also contribute significantly to the overall success of Blackhall Engineering. As we celebrate their achievements, let us also recognise the importance of nurturing talent and fostering a culture that values innovation, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Through their journey, we are reminded of the invaluable role played by service professionals in shaping the future of valve engineering.

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