Kush Patel, who has served as Deputy Managing Director of Emplas, has been named as new MD, in a formalisation of Emplas’ pre-existing structure.
Kush, who joined the company in 2004, became Deputy Managing Director in May 2017, since when he has led Emplas’ manufacturing operations, supported by Operations Director Phil Harrison.
Ryan Johnson, who has also stepped into a newly created Group Managing Director position as part of the move, said the appointment reflected the contribution that Kush had made to Emplas’ growth over the past decade and ‘formalised a pre-existing management structure’.
“In reality Kush has been doing the job of Emplas Managing Director since 2017 when he became deputy, so operationally nothing has changed. It’s more about recognising the contribution that he’s made and continues to make to our business.
“I’ll continue to have a responsibility for sales and marketing with Jody Vincent, and Phil Brown, will continue to head up our finance team, with Kush supported in operations by Phil Harrison.
“It formalises a structure which gives us a very strong senior team and supports our future growth plans.”
Kush joined Emplas as a Production Scheduler fresh from university with a degree in business. He steadily progressed through the Emplas ranks gaining an understanding of the business from the grass-roots up
This included rapid progression within a year to Planning and Operations Manager and a spell in the sales team, before joining the Emplas Commercial Contracts team, to head up the delivery of a 27,000 window low and high rise refurbishment project for Bristol City Council.
Made Operations Director in 2012, he led Emplas’ capital investment programme, including its’ factory extension and multi-million investment in machinery, both of which have provided a foundation for its current growth.
Working alongside Phil Harrison, he has also led on the manufacturing efficiency drive, which has supported Emplas in achieving operational efficiency gains of up to 15% in the last 12-months, helping it to control costs and hold prices to its customers.
Kush said: “What I hope the team will get out of it is the sense that regardless of where you come into the business, Emplas offers you a genuine career path and hard work is rewarded.
“It’s not only me, we have a lot of members of the team who have climbed through the ranks and many others who may be starting that journey now, but who are the leaders of our business tomorrow.”
