Over 1,000 colleagues and customers came together at the Finning UK and Ireland headquarters in Staffordshire to celebrate a pivotal milestone in the company’s history.
Employees past and present, their families and customers got together for the landmark celebration at the Finning branch in Cannock on Saturday 9th September. The event gave visitors the opportunity to reflect on some of the company’s historical highlights, as well as looking ahead to the future with demonstrations on the latest machines and technology.
At its peak more than 1,000 people joined the celebrations, alongside Finning International President & CEO Kevin Parkes who made the trip over from Canada and Tim Ferwerda, UK Managing Director, who were also joined by members of the company’s executive team and their families.
The event was the last in a series of roadshows organised by Finning to celebrate the company’s 90th year, with four UK and Ireland branches hosting events for their own staff, families and customers. The celebrations kicked off in Glasgow in May, followed by events in Dublin, Leeds and Llantrisant with the final celebration at the weekend. In all, over 2,000 employees and customers who’ve worked for and with Finning over the years have been a part of the milestone events.
Following months of planning and preparation, around 70 volunteers helped organise activities on the day. This included coordinating workshop tours, supporting machine, genset and engine displays, as well as helping with a range of children’s activities including a treasure hunt, face painting, inflatable games and arts & crafts.
Visitors also had the chance to get a first-hand look at some of the machines Finning sells and services as the world’s leading supplier of Cat® machinery and equipment, including a large Cat 730 articulated dump truck that had been meticulously rebuilt by the team at Glasgow to give it a second lease of life.
Attendees also got the chance to try out a simulator with SITECH® software that is used by machine operators on construction and quarrying sites to complete jobs accurately and efficiently. There were two popular mini machine challenges where visitors could put their operator skills to the test. Among the display of eye-catching bespoke-wrapped equipment organised by the graphics team, there was a Spider-Man themed mini machine as well as an interactive sticker wall for children to enjoy.
Meanwhile members of the Finning Learning & Development team were on hand to promote STEM careers which included running an activity for children to use their budding engineering skills to build ‘Finnbots’. While members of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets from the local Brownhills 1444 Squadron showcased opportunities for potential new recruits. Visitors also had the chance to learn about the Finning apprenticeship scheme with the training academy team.
Finning customer, JC Balls and Sons Ltd from Ashbourne, kindly donated two vintage Cat machines which took pride of place on the forecourt of the site during the day. Another customer, ASHBROOK, donated their custom-finished silver Cat 308 which had the trademark yellow replaced with a one-off silver vinyl to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
Commenting on the event Tim Ferwerda said: “What a lovely day it was, with so many colleagues, customers and their families coming together in celebration, whilst we showcased everything that’s great about the Finning brand and our people-centric culture. I was proud of how we came together as a team to create such a positive employee and customer experience. Huge thanks and well done to everyone involved for pulling together an awesome event.”
