About Andy Skelson

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My career in plastics manufacturing started in 1981 with an Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship at BXL Plastics Bottles and Closures division in Leicester. This started with one year off the job training at the Leicester Engineering Training  Group (LETG). This was one years basic engineering training including Milling, Turning, fitting, basic Electrical, Geometrical drawing, Grinding, etc. Here I was awarded the mechanical apprentice of the year award.  I continued at BXL and took a toolmaking module as part of my training. In 1983 BXL invested in a PET production line from Cincinnati Milacron. I was offered the role of trainee PET preform machine technician. A year later I moved into the Mould repair workshop where I worked on Injection  and Injection Blowmoulding tooling as well as downstream closing and finishing machines. 

My first step into production management started here with roles as Site shift manager, Production Manager and technical Manager. 

With a mechanical engineering background and experience in Injection moulding, Injection Blowmoulding, Injection Stretch Blowmoulding, PET multilayer production, Extrusion blowmoulding and all manner of downstream technologies such as bottle labelling, shrink sleeving, printing and more I can assist you in. 

Several years of OEE improvements experience including working with the Kaizen Institute in the Netherlands. 

I have been involved with or been responsible for several plant or production cell start ups over my many years in the business.

Production manager for the launch of Sunny Delight in the UK. (remember that!)

Technical Manager responsible for the first Dairy machines installed at the BXL Leicester plant. 

Production manager at Logoplaste Thurrock for the launch of P&G's Fairy liquid in PET bottles. This included qualifications of all machines and bottle formats.

Plant Manager for a Hole in the Wall Dairy business start up in Leeds. 12 Uniloy Recip machines.

Project Manager for the installation of 3 blowmoulders and downstream equipment at a new plant in Malaysia for  P&G laundry liquid bottles. 

Plant Manager at a high volume nearby site supplying >10mio bottles per week to the nations favourite ketchup manufacturer. 

During 2022 i worked with the Kaizen Institute Netherlands to introduce Kaizen techniques to our plant. During this project we identified and implemented cost savings of several hundred thousand Euro.