At Broder Metals Group, we are lucky to have not only a strong team of committed shop floor and office staff, but also a highly skilled and motivated management team to steer the company. William Chisholm is our Business Development Manager for the Aerospace & Defence sectors, and for the fourth and final part of our ‘meet the team’ series, we caught up with William over a coffee to get his thoughts on his job, the pandemic, and the state of aerospace manufacturing.
Tell Us A Little Bit About Your Background And How You Came To Work At Broder Metals Group
I’m the Business Development Manager for Broder Aerospace. My role is to develop supplier and distribution partnerships within the sector and support our global customer requirements.
My background is in military aerospace, where I’ve performed similar roles supplying parts for aircraft manufacturers and defence contractors etc.
What Would You Say Your Main Area Of Specialist Knowledge Is?
All my previous roles and qualifications have involved aircraft, so my main skill set is my long term and deep knowledge of the marine and aircraft sectors. This extends to the issues these businesses face on a daily basis, and how our services play a role in solving them. I had no specialist knowledge of metals before starting at Broder, but I was deemed a good choice for their specialist Aerospace division, and my knowledge of metallurgy has improved somewhat since I joined the organisation.
In What Ways Have You Seen The Aerospace Division Grow And Change In Your Time With Broder?
I’ve helped gain accreditation for the company such as JOSCAR (Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Register). This took a year to come to fruition, and the requirement was to be invited by one of the major prime defence manufacturers. To join the register, we had to prove we had something different to bring to the table, adding value to the supply chain, so over the last 18 months I’ve worked hard attending online webinars and trade shows to build connections.
What Does JOSCAR Registration Mean For Broder Metals Group And Its Customers?
JOSCAR is a pre-approved process for companies like Broder to deal with major prime companies in the Aerospace & Defence sector, for example BAE Systems and Rolls Royce.
If these large organisations are looking for a product or service, JOSCAR is an excellent point of reference so if it’s something within our capabilities & scope, they’ll be able to find us easily and make an enquiry.
JOSCAR accreditation allows Broder Aerospace the opportunity to indicate our wide range of Ground Support Equipment, Advanced On-board Power Solutions, Illumination products for Air, Land & Marine Defence, Steel & Alloys and so much more to a vast field of procurement specialists.
How Has The Pandemic Affected Broder’s Customers And Suppliers In The Aerospace Industry?
COVID-19 has made a big difference to the sector. The Aerospace industry was without doubt experiencing huge growth until the pandemic, with commercial runways being extended globally to cater for the increased demand, then the lockdowns and restrictions hit, and most flights were restricted except for cargo-carrying aircraft, military aircraft, and health supplies etc. However, at Broder we’ve been lucky because most of my knowledge and connections are in military aerospace, which hasn’t been as affected by COVID-19 as the civilian aerospace sector has, apart from the reported supply chain delays
Why Do You Think Aerospace Supply Chains Were So Heavily Affected By COVID-19?
The global aircraft industry is reliant on other industries and there are many links in the supply chain, so it’s not just the civilian airlines that have been badly hit by COVID-19. An aircraft seat, for example, contains leather covering, metalwork components like springs and supports, electronics like USB sockets in the seat, etc.
There will be numerous companies involved in making parts for that seat, located globally. Those companies may be buying material from somewhere else, like metals from the UK, and the companies that do the leatherwork may source the leather from Argentina. The companies that put the seat together may be using another six or so companies further down the line – maybe four different tiers of suppliers.
The bottom tier suppliers may be raw material extractors, which are then supplied to the next tier up supplier, which may be a machinist who may fabricate that metal into a certain shape, then the product goes to someone else into another tier that goes into another unit, and so on.
Just having one product could involve so many people and there is a massive knock-on effect when the supply chain experiences delays. All the transport costs, the people involved in the process is wide and far ranging, with the average person unaware of how everything fits into place.
What Does A Typical Day In The Office Look Like For You?
Before COVID-19, I used to spend a lot of time on the road visiting clients and suppliers, but I’ve been stationary for the whole of the pandemic. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road again after 18 months!
I start my day at the office with a cup of tea around 8:30-9am, have a coffee at 11 (my only coffee of the day. I catch up on emails first and look at my schedule for the day. At the moment it’s webinars and internal meetings, and a video catch up with my director every day.
Being home based, there are certain advantages, namely keeping my eye on our two British Shorthair Cats, Arthur & Winnie, just in case they are causing any mischief. Arthur in particular is starting to show interest in my work:
During my Lunch Break, weather permitting, I go for a walk and listen to The Fighter Pilot podcast, run by an ex-US Navy F/A-18 Hornet pilot and TOPGUN instructor that I have become ‘Friends’ with online and support his project.
Find Out More
At Broder Metals Group, we are committed to helping your business attain the highest standards of safety, quality, and performance, through a world-leading selection of defence and aerospace-grade metals. To find out more about prices, stock availability, and delivery times, please call one of our technical sales team for a quote today.
