Member Profile: Rockwheel

Webster – The Rise of the Rockwheel Sheffield-based design engineering business, Webster Technologies are the original designers of Rockwheel cutting attachments. The awardwinning company design and hire cutting equipment for construction, civil engineering and tunnelling projects...

Construction Worx talks to Webster Technologies, business development manager, Belinda Naylor about her role in the company and the rise of the Rockwheel! attachments and grow the business worldwide through designing and developing a range of Rockwheels for use in a variety of applications and industries.

Q: When was Webster Technologies founded and what was the company's vision? A: The story began in the 1960s when the Webster family began designing, manufacturing and selling mining equipment globally. The first to use hydraulics for cutting, the Webster Roadheaders quickly became a well-known, respected brand. The decline of the UK mining industry brought some challenging times, but Ian Webster turned the challenge into an opportunity to diversify and came up with an innovative cutting attachment that was a tool somewhere between a bucket and a hammer. The Rockwheel really started to take off and in 2000 Ian formed Webster Technologies. The journey continued and in 2005 Ian was joined in the business by his sister in law and business partner Angela Naylor. The vision for the company was to bring innovation to the world of cutting

Q: When did you join the company, and can you tell us more about your role at Webster Technologies? A: I joined the business in 2014 following a long career with BT. Working for a large company enabled me to develop a broad set of skills and experience including project management, stakeholder engagement and effective relationship building. Skills transferable to a smaller business and different industry. Since joining Webster my role has evolved and includes developing new business, marketing and playing a lead role in the project to develop, test and launch our new breaker – the Rockhit. The transition from being part of a blue-chip organisation to an SME can be challenging, added to the fact we are a family business, means things aren’t always plain sailing. However, as a business it does mean we are more agile and flexible which is good for our customers. Working Belinda Naylor, business development manager, Webster Technologies

in a family business also means I am more invested in growing the business and have the opportunity to get involved in a range of activities from bidding for grants, sourcing suppliers, product testing and building relationships with clients.

Q: What are the challenges faced by companies in the current climate? A: Last year was a challenging year with the uncertainty brought about by Brexit impacting project starts. By the nature of what we do we are pioneers of innovation and for companies like ours we have to balance new product innovation with commercialisation. R&D is at the heart of our business and financing R&D and new product development is a challenge, one that we have managed through our own continued investment, supplemented with grant funding largely through the Government innovation agency; Innovate UK. We also diversified our business into other areas including designing bespoke equipment such as that used in the Sheffield Super tram Rail replacement project, together with other design consultancy work. I hope, this year will see a renewed confidence buoyed by the promise of an infrastructure revolution by the Chancellor with up to and extra £100m of investment over the next few years.

Q: Technology is transforming manufacturing - tell us how Webster focuses on innovation and new product development? A: Webster Technologies has always been synonymous with innovation. The original designer of the Rockwheel cutting head, we have continued to innovate and develop the range, and this has enabled us to maintain a competitive edge. Our latest design - the Rockhit, offers high impact and low frequency operation. It’s kinder to the environment using less fuel and the noise level is more tolerable. It has over 3.5 times the output energy of a conventional breaker and is greaseless which means its lower maintenance. Not quite an overnight success – it has taken over 18-years to get to this point with several design changes and prototypes, but we are really excited to have reached the point of soft launching it to the market.

Q: Webster was selected as an Export Champion by the Department of International Trade can you tell Construction Worx readers how the company secured such a high accolade? A: Our experience in exporting goes way back to when Ian and Angela first started the business in 2000 and has given us

14 SPRING 2020 a good understanding of how to work and grow a business in overseas markets. We licence the manufacture of our designs to a German company and they distribute it worldwide. This collaboration works well, and the number of dealers has expanded significantly across the globe. It’s really helped put Webster designs on an international stage.

Q: What is the key to success for exporting? Can you give our readers any advice? A: Protecting your IP is critical. We have two patents on our new Rockhit breaker and we work with an excellent patent lawyer who has really helped us with our national and international applications

Q: Webster received funding from Innovate UK - how did you secure this grant? A: We have won two rounds of grant funding through Innovate UK. The first took us from a concept to a prototype with a subsequent award supporting us in getting to the final design and production model. Competition for funding is fierce but I think as well as having a great idea that could really transform the world of breaking, as a business we have been able to demonstrate a track record in innovation. Q: What has been the highlight of your career at Webster Technologies? A: I’d say my highlight has been seeing the transformation of Ian’s design from a great idea to a production model. There have been highs and lows on the journey, but I love being part of it. I get a real buzz from watching the audience’s reaction on site and hearing the positive feedback. We recently showcased it at an innovation day and had some great feedback from Highways England which has led to more opportunities to use it on some Smart Motorway projects. Ian and I met with the former secretary of state for International Trade last year. You would expect a product with this innovation to be developed by one of the large OEMs so it was a proud moment to show him what we’ve achieved. Q: What sets Webster Technologies apart from its competitors? Being a family business, we have a strong shared sense of purpose and great teamwork- we’re agile and flexible so we can respond quickly to our customers’ demands; this is particularly important in our Rockwheel hire business. Ian and his team are talented and very experienced designers and when we have a design challenge we won’t stop until it’s solved. This means that particularly for customers who come to us for a bespoke design they know they are in safe hands and that we are committed to giving them a solution to meets their needs. Our Rockhit product offers a real differential and challenges the boundaries of conventional design. There are a number of features about it that we believe will create a step change in the industry. We really wanted to tap into customer demands for something that’s kinder to the environment without compromising on productivity and I believe we’ve achieved that. Q: What’s your future vision for the company? A: Our vision for Webster Technologies remains in bringing real innovation to the world of cutting attachments. Guided by customer demand, our commercialisation plans include the launch of new products to market, focusing on the design and expansion of our product lines, continuing to grow our Rockwheel and Rockhit brand globally, whilst continuing to develop our strategic partnerships, seeing exporting as a key area for growth. ■ The Rockhit! A new hydraulic breaker from Webster Technologies

So much more than just welfare...

Green Facilities

Health & Safety

Good neighbours Right first time

Staff Wellbeing

T: 01268 280500 E: sales@advante.co.uk

Temporary On-site Accommodation The UK’s Largest Hire Fleet

CEA’s recommended event logistics partner

Professional, reliable, cost-e ective event logistics for exhibitions, conferences and events

We deliver throughout the UK, Europe, and worldwide, and take the heavy lifting for events o your hands. With 20 years’ experience, a 24-hour customer helpline and our delivery guarantee, why would you entrust your equipment to anyone else?

GET IN TOUCH NOW FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT

The Warehouse, Faraday Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9TX T: 020 3475 2700 M: 07900 826247 E: bill@billbowden.co.uk www.billbowden.co.uk

Visit the Bunkabin website to see the full range of sleeper units

BESPOKE SLEEPER

Nationwide Hire Desk 0345 456 7899 Email hires@bunkabin.co.uk bunkabin.co.uk • Our top-of-the-range cabin for qualiƒ and comfort • Fridge and microwave • Thermostatic controlled heating • Superior LED lighting and extra electrical sockets • Tilt-&-turn window with integral blind • Plenƒ of storage space • Easily transported to site • Building Regulations compliant • Tilt-&-turn window with integral blind • • • compliant