We had a question and answer session with one of our longest serving employees, Tim Welsh, to find out more about his time at Aintree Plastics and his new role.
Hi Tim, please tell us a quick summary about your work background and experience to date.
I joined Aintree Plastics back in 2001, after relocating from Salisbury. I previously worked for a company that supplied Felt, and in the Pharmaceutical sector before that. My first role at Aintree Plastics was as a Sales Admin, and I have progressed through a number of positions in the past 19 years. I am now in the more senior position of Key Account Manager.
Has much changed in the industry during your time at Aintree Plastics?
The main change I have found is that there is much more focus on regulatory affairs, especially for packaging going into Food Industry.
What does your job at Aintree Plastics entail?
We have a relatively small team at Aintree Plastics, so although my main role is looking after customers and selling, we all chip in wherever is needed – whether this is inputting orders, chasing deliveries, or making the tea! My new role is predominantly home based, and I will look to develop into visiting both existing and prospective customers.
What is a typical day at Aintree Plastics like?
Busy! I always have a plan for the day but this usually goes out the window whilst dealing with customer requests and requirements that come in. These can often be panic orders. A common question we get from customers is, “how quickly can you deliver?”
What do you enjoy about your job?
We have an excellent close-knit team, and I enjoy the daily interactions with them. We are a well established company that has been trading for 25 years, and we pride ourselves on our excellent levels of customer service and customer support.
What are your biggest challenges at the moment?
My biggest challenge is to ensure that Aintree Plastics are innovative and are keeping on top of the changing trends in our industry, together with educating customers that plastic is an essential, important and versatile material that cannot be replaced.
What are your thoughts about plastics and their effect on the environment?
We are all concerned about the littering from polythene products in our environment and oceans, but the key is not to stop using polythene, but to re-educate and encourage its proper disposal and recycling.
What is Aintree Plastics doing about the Plastics Tax?
The pending Plastics Tax is a concerning issue for our customers, but Aintree Plastics are being very proactive about this. We have already started trialling a Polythene blend to include a minimum of 30% recycled content, and we have been fully committed for a number of years in helping to reduce excess polythene waste.
Thanks Tim. We'll just finish off with a few personal questions if that's okay. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
I like to spend time with my family, especially my 7 year old son.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of work?
I am an armchair sportsman! Especially football, and my team is Tottenham – come on you Spurs!
What is your ideal holiday location?
There are so many places I would love to visit but haven’t yet. We have recently enjoyed holidays on the Greek Islands, but if money was no object, the Maldives or a similar Indian Ocean island!
