Prestigious Awards for Two Vector Aerospace Employees

Nov. 25, 2014
Kirsty Burns was awarded Apprentice of the Year and John Harvey, who won the Employee of the Year award, has worked at Almondbank for 28 years.

Vector Aerospace UK (Vector - www.vectoraerospace.com), a leading provider of aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, is delighted to announce that two employees at its Almondbank facility in Perthshire have received Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Star Awards.

Kirsty Burns was awarded Apprentice of the Year after showing great tenacity in gaining an apprenticeship with Vector Aerospace. Since starting with the company in late summer 2011, Kirsty's overall commitment to her work and attitude towards colleagues has been excellent and her innovative ideas have had a positive impact on the issues raised by technicians on the shop floor.  As a key process improvement, Kirsty successfully designed, manufactured and tested a new prototype jig to hold plating test pieces. The results were impressive and the failure rates have now reduced to almost zero, along with a 93% reduction in preparation time and associated costs, together with an elimination of consumable materials costs, equating to significant savings.

Duncan Reid, Kirsty's line manager, says "I believe Kirsty was nominated as she fully embodies many, if not all of our values at Vector. I find Kirsty to be a highly focused and competent beyond her experience, rarely requiring direction or support. On the few occasions where guidance has been sought, she has presented the issue with clarity, proposing logical and well reasoned solutions. Kirsty is highly able to follow up and implement these solutions to a successful conclusion."

John Harvey, who won the Employee of the Year award, has worked at Almondbank for 28 years. In his role as Facilities Manager, John successfully met two challenges in the past year. The first was the project management of the construction of a brand new composites production facility on the Almondbank site, which was accomplished from scratch in a remarkable six weeks. His second success was donning the additional hat of First Line Manager in two key process areas to cover a gap which had arisen. Who says men can't multi task?

Both of these awards reflect Vector's values, which include excellence, innovation and teamwork. They bring great credit to themselves and to the facility in which they work, striving always to set the standard of customer service.

Kirsty Burns and John Harvey collecting their awards at the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce dinner on 21st November 2014.

The Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Star Awards scheme celebrates all aspects of the local business community, highlighting real "stars". Chamber Chief Executive Vicki Unite described the entries received this year as 'exceptional'. Kirsty and John were presented with their awards at a ceremony staged at Crieff Hydro Hotel, Perthshire on Friday 21st November.

Vector Aerospace's Almondbank facility is long established as a centre of excellence for the Depth maintenance, repair and overhaul of dynamic, hydraulic and structural components for the civil and military aerospace markets.