A high-flyer at a precision manufacturing company in Dorset has been made a Company Director a decade on from starting out as a 22-year-old trainee on the shop floor.
Ryan Hanger, now 32, has had a meteoric rise at Titan Manufacturing in Weymouth, Dorset, which specialises in sheet metal fabrication, CNC machining, laser cutting and surface finishing.
He started out in March 2015, fresh from completing his NVQ Level 3 apprenticeship in engineering services, as a trainee doing basic duties on the workshop floor, before progressing to laser operator two years later.
When the position opened up, he stepped up to become laser manager – taking on responsibility for running the workshop – a role in which he was able to implement process improvements which saw a 15% increase in production output.
The past year, his career has been turbo charged. Ryan was made Business Manager in June, working on driving efficiency and cost-effectiveness and implementing structural improvements within the company.
Just months later in October, he was promoted to company director taking the lead on running day-to-day operations, business development, building relationships strategic and generating new leads, as well as rolling out growth and improvement initiatives – such as a material resource planning system called Tricorn, which streamlines the production process from start to finish.
Speaking about his career, Ryan said: “It has been an incredible journey at Titan. I’m not sure I imagined myself becoming a company director when I started out a decade ago, but with the support and opportunities I’ve been given here, I’ve grown into that responsibility. I have loved the process of continual learning and improvement, and that is something I will continue to do in my new role.
“I am keen to put all I’ve learned to good use, drawing on my own experiences to help others in the Titan team to grow and develop in their careers, through that, safeguarding the future of the company.”
Ryan is taking the helm during a period of intensive growth for Titan, which secured significant private investment last year. The company opened a second £1.8m purpose-built production workshop this summer, bringing their total factory premises up to 30,000 sq. ft..
Ryan added: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Titan, as we continue to push ahead with our plans to grow this business, with an ambition of doubling turnover within two years.
“Being born and bred in Weymouth, I am also passionate about being able to serve our local community. We have plans for a charity partnership in the pipeline, and I’m also looking to strengthen our connection with local education providers and develop our training pathways.
“As my story testifies, Titan is a company where you can carve out a fantastic career, and I want to give other people looking for opportunities all that they need to succeed.
“Attracting and retaining young people and equipping them with the right skills is vital, not only for the future of Titan, but for the future of the manufacturing sector as a whole.”
Ryan is married and a father of three. Outside of work he enjoys running and will be taking on some half marathons next year. Family time is very important to him, he adds: “My family is my reason for everything I do.”
Titan Manufacturing, founded in 2011, specialises in CNC precision engineering, sheet metal welding fabrication, laser profile cutting and surface finishing: a versatile range of services enabling them to offer a full-service package, including parts assembly services.
Jon Higson, MD of Titan Manufacturing, said: “Ryan is a great talent and knows Titan through and through. His promotion to Director is thoroughly well deserved and I know he will continue to be a driving force for growth, development and improvement across the company.”
The company’s new facility is equipped with a 4m flatbed fibre laser for precision cutting, 250 tonne hydraulic press brake sheet metal folding machine, glass bead blast finishing and paint spraying facilities. Titan Manufacturing also invested £500,000 in four state-of-the-art CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining centres and one driven tool CNC lathe from Hurco to help increase production capabilities and allow Titan to meet the growing demand for its quality services.
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