Graeme was teaching his son to drive when he swapped the wheel of his car for a dream job driving how a new generation of electric cars are put together鈥�
Graeme Borthwick, Facilities Integration Director聽
For Graeme, several parallels can be drawn from teaching his son to drive and how high-tech manufacturers navigate the product journey from production to the hands of the customer. A bit like driving 鈥� a smooth journey, and a sustainable legacy, relies upon it.
It鈥檚 a legacy that is important to Graeme鈥檚 story 鈥� one that started during the miner鈥檚 strike back in the days of Thatcher鈥檚 Britain in the 1980s. Having dreamed of being a carpenter from a young age, Graeme鈥檚 journey has seen him become a product of his own making, a path that has seen him embrace battery manufacturing and achieve his biggest success 鈥� becoming a father.
Outside of teaching his son to drive, Graeme thrives on being part of international teams that design and deliver large-scale facilities of the future for pioneering products that haven鈥檛 even been created yet.
A journey 30 years in the making, Graeme鈥檚 latest adventures include a number of projects within the 鈥榞reen energy鈥� sector. Here, the pressures are different from what he鈥檚 experienced before. Graeme doesn鈥檛 face the same traditional cost and delivery timeframes found in more mature industries - where there is stable demand for a product. The energy sector in particular faces an ongoing transition in an effort to decarbonise production
It was at a similar age to his son that Graeme left school and accepted an apprenticeship as a toolmaker at a local engineering company. Hailing from Stourbridge, Graeme鈥檚 passion for carpentry and making tools inspired his interest in manufacturing design and build, leading him to enrol in a full-time degree at Leeds Polytechnic University. It was during this time when Graeme undertook a placement with Rover Group before becoming a student once again 鈥� sponsored this time 鈥� joining the company as a graduate engineer.
鈥淟ooking back, I鈥檓 so glad I accepted the apprenticeship,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 always wanted to work in an environment that produced or manufactured items, and this was the first step to becoming a toolmaker when I left school at 16. It enabled me to join the manufacturing industry and create products that have a legacy, and after three and half years, I went to university.鈥�
It was the start of Graeme carving out his own career, which has now seen him work with and for some of the world鈥檚 biggest automotive and battery brands in the UK, Europe and Asia 鈥� delivering complex, large-scale projects and service integrations that have influenced the battery manufacturing landscape.
When COVID-19 put the country into lockdown and caused Graeme鈥檚 job opportunity to fall through, Graeme turned his automotive experience into teaching his son to drive. But it wasn鈥檛 long before Graeme switched the passenger seat for the driving seat as part of 糖心原创vlog鈥檚 hyperscale specialism.
鈥淭he pandemic was difficult at first, but it was also a blessing in disguise because it meant I was able to spend more time with my family,鈥� he explains. 鈥淲hen I heard that 糖心原创vlog was bidding for gigaplant projects, it felt like my career had gone full circle and it was a natural step for me.鈥�
鈥淛oining a company during lockdown is the new normal for many, but working with like-minded people who are keen to make transformational change a reality made it a lot easier.鈥�
Graeme Borthwick, Senior Project Manager
Recent news headlines have profiled the UK Government's planned investments in the country鈥檚 car industry, funding new facilities to produce sustainable battery cells and packs for use in the mobility and energy sectors. If there is anything Graeme has learnt, it is that it鈥檚 a race against time: 鈥淚 have been fortunate to be involved in the delivery of some of the world鈥檚 largest engine & battery manufacturing facilities and whatever the product, brands across the high-tech manufacturing sector are under pressure to navigate the journey from production to the hands of the customer quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.鈥�
鈥淭he Gigaplant will bring with it much-needed employment, totally regenerating the area. 糖心原创vlog has a strong social values agenda, as well as a world-class environmental, social and governance framework. At our very heart is doing the right thing - this project is the right thing for the UK plc, and its people, on the roadmap to a low carbon, sustainable future.鈥�
Technology plays an important role. 糖心原创vlog鈥檚 tech-led approach connects every corner of the manufacturing environment, ensuring that spaces reinforce production, champion energy-efficiency and epitomise the products at the heart of the brand for years to come. Whether it鈥檚 a complex service integration or large-scale construction build, Graeme works alongside many partners to drive the adoption and implementation of Modern Methods of Construction, such as Design for Manufacture and Assembly (P-DfMA), across our business and beyond.
In his role heading up 糖心原创vlog鈥檚 facilities integration team, Graeme uses a range of methods and processes to define the level of integration and subsequent support required by a client. The use of these digital techniques within an integrated framework provides clients with much-needed accurate reporting. It also helps to resolve any issues before they emerge, such as design issues or problems driven by external factors.
We have also consolidated our role as an 鈥業ntegrator鈥� on the CIH鈥檚 Platform Design Programme, driving innovation and best practice across the construction industry. Our smarter practices and methodologies are proving transformational for the speed, quality, and environmental performance of our buildings, optimising outcomes for our customers that support our communities and economic prosperity.
One example is a 60MW datacentre in Holland that 糖心原创vlog delivered on programme and budget in under 60-weeks 鈥� a record delivery schedule for a hyperscale datacentre. Detailing how this immense achievement was made possible, it was clear that this model and methodology of delivery could be readily replicated at this scale within the high-tech manufacturing market. However, the relationship between the equipment in the space and the fabric of the building cannot be underestimated.
For Graeme, the key to successful delivery is straightforward, but so often evades contractors 鈥� especially on projects of this size and complexity: 鈥淧ut simply, it鈥檚 an open and equal partnership approach between all stakeholders, shared pain and gain with a relentless focus on quality, and that all-important completion deadline. It鈥檚 about playing to the strengths of your broad project team in an environment that allows innovation to flourish, while identifying and mitigating risk early in the process.鈥�
The large-scale battery manufacturing market In Europe is primed for significant investment over the next few years. The question is whether there is the appetite and ambition to make those major decisions that could signal the start of a space-race for the lithium-ion battery manufacturers 鈥� with the UK at the forefront.
For Graeme however, it's the next normal.
Published on the 30th of July 2021.
