Before joining us here at Lawton Tubes, Antony worked internal sales at a heavy-side construction industry, selling asphalt across the UK. Now, he’s looking after independent plumbers’ and builders’ merchants.

When a role at Lawton Tubes opened up, Antony jumped at the chance to work for us. He says, “Immediately you could tell that this is a brilliant family-run business that truly looks after its staff and is constantly finding ways to progress and improve, why wouldn’t anyone want to be part of that?” Why not indeed!

Outside of work, Antony is a devoted Leicester City supporter who enjoys spending time with his friends and family, he’s a busy dad to two very energetic young lads who more than keep him on his toes!

He’s been with us for 20 months now and has made a strong impact working as one of our Internal Sales Managers, bringing support to independent merchants with assistance on daily pricing, pricing tenders, and helping to bring key projects to fruition.

One of his highlights since joining us was as an integral part of the introduction, pricing, and distribution of price lists for our new Press Fit product range in both water and gas.

The hard work and commitment to the company he showed during this project led to a well-earned promotion to Account Manager. In this new role he’ll be working closely with a dedicated group of customers, providing direct support, and helping them grow their businesses.

Looking toward the future, he is particularly excited about what’s coming up for Lawton Tubes and being a part of the company’s ambitious growth plans. With the recent acquisition of a multi-million-pound site, the company is going from strength to strength and with people like Antony on board, the sky’s the limit!

The post Meet Antony Ward, our new Account Manager appeared first on Lawton Tubes.

Enter the inaugural Lawton Awards Gala!

Held on Saturday 10th May at the prestigious Warwick Racecourse, over 160 people from the Lawton Tubes workforce and guests came together to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements and long service of fellow colleagues, making for a fantastically fun and uplifting atmosphere.

On arrival, our lucky Lawton team members got to rub shoulders with the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow and Marilyn Monroe while sipping drinks and a having a flutter in the gorgeous May sunshine. Once we were all spent out, we retired to the main marquee where a delicious three-course meal was served and enjoyed by all. This was followed by the awards ceremony, hosted by the compere, Brody Swain, and plenty of drinks and (bad) dancing into the night!

Awards up for grabs were both silly and serious, a nod to Lawton’s unique blend of fun meets professional.

Some of the stand-out categories included Customer Service Superstar, which went to Aimee King (Sales Support Assistant), Problem Solver of the year, which went to Jon Brealey, (Operations Manager), and the Unsung Hero award, which went to Aga Szefler, Shift Manager.

Each Lawton site also saw its Team Player Extraordinaire recognised, with awards going to Ryan Allison, IT Support from Coventry site, Derek Bond, Operations Manager from Poole site, and Mark Tandy, Operations Manager from Redditch site.

Other, more light-hearted awards included a prize for Fashionista of the year, claimed by Kristine Dergaca, Supply Chain Administrator, and Chatterbox of the year, which went to Lee Clayton, Head of Plumbing and Heatin, (no surprises there!).

Awards were also handed out in recognition of team members’ longstanding service to Lawton Tubes. A total of 47 staff members from across our three sites received the Lawton’s Long Service Award. You can see the names of our dedicated long serving team members here.

A big thank you to Shannon Stevenson and Lee Clayton for organising such a memorable event; an exceptional time was had by all, and it certainly won’t be the last!   

The post Lawton Awards Gala 2025 appeared first on Lawton Tubes.

Currently, we hold storage of 60sq ft with a 20,000sq ft increase. Within 3 years, our expansion will see the creation of a 120,000 sq. ft, two-storey facility that will house our manufacturing, storage, and office operations. This is a significant step forward for our family-run business, which continues to grow at an incredible pace. With an annual turnover of £230 million and a dedicated team of 140 staff across our four sites in Coventry, Redditch, and Poole, we are committed to building a future that supports both our employees and customers.

Lawton Tubes has long been a success story for the region, exporting to over 40 countries worldwide. We are incredibly proud to have earned the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise, a testament to our achievements in international trade. Our copper tubes serve critical industries, from healthcare and construction to major sporting venues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we played a crucial role in supplying copper tubing to the Nightingale hospitals, demonstrating our commitment to serving communities in times of need.

Robert Lawton, our Director of Marketing and International Sales, and a fourth-generation member of our family business established in 1918, recently shared this exciting news with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce President, Steve Harcourt.

Steve Harcourt praised our expansion plans, highlighting Lawton Tubes as a shining example of local enterprise:

As we embark on this exciting journey, we remain committed to excellence, innovation, and sustainability. Our new facility will enable us to meet growing global demand, embrace new technologies, and create more opportunities for our team and new jobs for our local community.

The post Lawton Tubes Announces Exciting £20 Million Expansion to a State-of-the-Art Facility appeared first on Lawton Tubes.

Partnering with Flow Development for Comprehensive Training

As part of this commitment, we have partnered with Flow Development, a renowned development and training organisation, to deliver a series of four key sessions aimed at empowering our colleagues to reach their full potential. These sessions are designed to cultivate skills that not only enhance performance at work but also contribute to personal growth and long-term career development.

The Four Key Training Sessions

Understanding Profile Colours and Personality Traits
In this session, our colleagues explored various personality profiles and learned how different traits influence workplace interactions. This session focused on the psychology behind different personality types, helping us to gain a deeper understanding of our own working styles and those of our colleagues. Understanding these dynamics fosters better teamwork, communication, and collaboration across departments.

Leadership and Learning Styles: Ways to Be Managed
Effective leadership starts with understanding diverse learning and management styles. This session equips our team leaders and members with strategies to tailor their approach, ensuring that everyone can thrive under effective management.

Project Disciplines: Tools and Techniques for Understanding and Scoring Projects
Mastering project management is crucial for our operational success. This session introduces advanced tools and techniques for evaluating and scoring projects, enabling our team to execute tasks with precision and efficiency.

Review and Progress: Developing Plans Based on Projects
The final session provided an opportunity for colleagues to review their progress and create actionable plans based on the knowledge gained. This session focused on translating learning into tangible results, with an emphasis on developing strategies for ongoing growth and improvement.

Group Projects and Their Impact

In addition to the core sessions, we have been actively participating in group projects designed to address key areas of improvement across the company. These projects reflect our commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation, with each group focusing on a specific area vital to our ongoing success.

The project groups are working on the following areas:

• Appraisals: Enhancing our appraisal processes to ensure continuous feedback and development opportunities for all.
• Top-Down Communications: Improving internal communication flows from leadership to ensure transparency and alignment with company goals.
• Fittings and Technical: Bringing more expertise and knowledge around fittings into the business. However, the flow development provided a different approach and colleagues concluded that we needed a new quality and technical structure.
• Interdepartmental Communications: Strengthening communication between departments to ensure smooth collaboration and improved ways of working.
• Future of Work: Exploring the future landscape of work, including remote and flexible working arrangements, to position Lawton Tubes as a forward-thinking business.
• Work Flow: Analysing current work flows to identify opportunities for greater efficiency and productivity.
• SOPRA (Safe Operating Processes and Risk Assessments): Enhancing our safety protocols and risk assessment processes to ensure the well-being of our colleagues and compliance with industry standards.

A Culture of Continuous Development

At Lawton Tubes, investing in our people is not just a strategy; it’s a core value. By partnering with Flow Development and committing to continuous development, we are paving the way for a brighter, more innovative future. We are excited to see our team members grow, excel, and drive our company’s success to new heights.

These sessions and projects have already proven to be highly effective, with many colleagues expressing increased confidence in their roles, as well as a renewed sense of purpose and engagement. We are incredibly proud of the progress made so far, and in the coming weeks, we will be presenting the findings from these individual group projects to the board. Our goal is to implement these recommendations to drive positive change within the organisation.

The post Investing in Our People: Personal Development and Training at Lawton Tubes appeared first on Lawton Tubes.