Employee Spotlight On Graeme Craig
In this Employee Spotlight series, we are delving into the stories behind the titles, uncovering the unique journeys, skills, and aspirations that shape our dynamic team. From seasoned veterans to rising stars, each BPF employee brings a diverse perspective and a wealth of experience to our collective mission... driving the industry forward. Today, we are introducing a heartbeat of our organization - where great talent meets an even greater temperament - Graeme Craig.
Graeme joined the BPF in March 2020 – yes you heard that right, March 2020 - just two weeks before lockdown!
"My first year of networking and gathering industry knowledge was all done online from my dining room table. Not ideal, but members were very understanding, and support from the BPF team made it feel normal… almost."
Graeme's career began with shipbuilding on the Clyde in 1981, then to engineering with manufacturing contracts in the Netherlands, fastforward to finding himself out of work in the mid-90s, he returned to university in Scotland and gained a BSc in Media Technology, but engineering called again. He then worked in Kent designing and manufacturing air-handling units, before moving to the leading trade association for the building services sector, and then to the steel sector to support the industry through several crisis years, before the plastics industry came calling.
He is now the BPF Senior Industrial Issues Executive.
Graeme's job includes being the executive for the 'Moulders & Specialist Processors' Group and the 'Rotational Moulding' Group, which is a welcome return to manufacturing for Graeme!
"Visiting members around the country gives a great insight into some of the challenges they deal with on a daily basis, and an opportunity for me to support innovative and sustainable businesses in the plastics sector. It is a privilege to see at close hand the level of quality and technical work that goes on in a foundation sector that is often undervalued, while making a significant contribution to the UK economy."
He also takes care of the BPF’s Automotive Forum, Productivity Committee, and the Industrial Health & Safety Committee. These activities allow Graeme to meet with members from every part of the UK plastics industry, which in turn leads to more connections and more opportunities for members that might not have found the support they need without these networks.
- Graeme describes the Automotive Forum as a vital connection to a supply chain that is one of the main drivers in our economy, bringing together moulders with the OEMs and allowing the carmakers an opportunity to understand the capability within the UK plastics industry.
- He added that the project work of the Productivity Committee is coming to fruition soon: a suite of documents that will deliver state of the art guidance to every part of the sector, informing decision makers on all options to improve productivity and competitiveness in a sustainable way. These documents will be released in phases with the first coming this summer.
- And his Health & Safety Committee is looking stronger than ever with meetings scheduled for the coming year, accident statistics collection, taking a leading role in the SIMPL initiative, and a network of engagement that allows members to seek support from their contemporaries with extensive experience in managing risk in the plastics industry.
Recently, Graeme has been especially busy organising trips for his groups, where he sees huge value in the learning and networking events that deliver immediate benefits, making lasting improvement to members.
"Over the course of the last year, the BPF provided the Rotational Moulding Group an opportunity to look around for rotomoulding sites in Italy, and more recently, the Moulders & Specialist Processors Group tour of LEGO in Denmark. Both trips delivered big lessons to members that were able to take the time and effort to step away from their businesses and see how other manufacturers are also driving the industry forward."
Graeme has also created a unique training course for the rotational moulding sector that is free to members of the Rotational Moulding Group on the BPFs polymercourses.com. For the first time rotomoulders can take on trainees and provide them with e-learning modules in-house to learn the basics of the trade.
When asked about Graeme, his colleagues described him as ‘bringing the perfect blend of professionalism and humor to our team. You can always depend on him to work hard, go above and beyond for his members, and brighten up every room he's in'.
Outside of work, Graeme loves creative writing (and is a published author of fiction), he adores the cultural life that exists everywhere in London (including the BPF Book Club), but especially live music, and is a keen guitar player with a special passion for renovating old electric guitars.
"My last project was a 60-year old Japanese model which I’ve refinished and augmented with modern guitar parts. I’ll sell this on to fund another project. Anyone want to buy a guitar?"
(Please note that not buying his guitar may lead him to look at you like the below.)
What Next For Graeme?
Redefining Productivity is a long-term project that, in some sense, will never be fully complete. Graeme is already looking at revisions to the first phase of documents that are yet to be published! The final suite of guides will require continual revision, which means keeping a close watch on technological innovations that will need to be understood, defined, and included. Leading the teams of experts (all of which come from membership) that are delivering this work is a long-term challenge, but one Graeme is determined to see through.
As an indispensable asset, the BPF is incredibly grateful for his experiece, intellect, and unwaveringly strong opinions on books!
Click here to connect with Graeme!
Learn more about his productivity project: here.
*Please note that this article is not a press release. Do not publish on another website unless given specific permission from the author (Rebecca Shortland).
