The feelgood factor follows the highly successful completion of a six-year project to rebuild the iconic manufacturing plant.
The project was hampered by the pandemic but ended in triumph thanks to strong and motivational leadership and a collective will to rise above the many challenges, not least maintaining a steady flow of production while major construction work was going on in the background.
The more than £20 million invested in the Huddersfield site has yielded a truly world class facility primed to produce in the region of 300,000 turbochargers a year.
The investment can be seen not just in the upgraded manufacturing plant and its three main assembly halls but in a transformed research and development centre, renovated offices, canteen, gym and newly installed electric vehicle charging points.
The plant itself has a new roof (currently being kitted out with solar panels), new external walls, new floor, new electrical and heating and ventilation systems, energy-efficient LED lighting and greater wheelchair access.
“The renovation of the Huddersfield plant ties back into our commitment to decreasing carbon emissions. Investing in the site will help us manufacture core technologies more efficiently getting us closer to our goal of net zero emissions by 2050,” said Shon Wright Vice President of Cummins Engine Components.
Everything dovetails with the overarching mission of Cummins to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint and improve the sustainability of its operations.
“I’m so proud of what the team has achieved here,” said Gary Waterhouse, who only recently moved on from his role as Huddersfield Plant Manager at Huddersfield to take up a key leadership role within Cummins European Regional Operating Team as EMEA Manufacturing Engineering Leader
“Amid all the work, we kept things running and kept focussed on our customers – on product quality and delivery -– so they were not impacted. However, Safety and taking care of the team is priority one for us and there were zero injuries recorded in the six years of work, which is a fantastic achievement.
“We had our fair share of challenges along the way but we overcame all the hurdles and what we have here in Huddersfield now is a plant that to all intents and purposes is brand new. It’s clean and full of light and is very pleasant environment for the current employee, plus a positive impression of a manufacturing operation to customers, visitors and potential new team members.
“Our team are certainly enjoying the changes. The whole Huddersfield campus has come together and they’re ready to move forward with a new energy and purpose.”
Adam Dawson, who took over from Gary as plant manager, said the next phase of the investment programme is under way for the assembly lines: a new heavy-duty line has been commissioned and is being ramped up; a new line for variable geometry turbos is being built and plans are taking shape for a new high horsepower line.
“The journey continues,” he said. “We will be upgrading all our assembly lines ready for the latest technology required for the next generation of product. It’s all very exciting.”
Gary said the refurbishment had offered manufacturing operations the opportunity to review its processes. “We call it value stream transformation,” he said. “It was a good time for us to reset and drive the efficiency of our machining and assembly operations.”
Gareth Cooper, Huddersfield Facilities Manager, likened parts of the project to the sliding block puzzle game where you need to manoeuvre blocks into free spaces to achieve your ultimate goal.
“We were constantly having to move equipment around to create space and allow the contractors to do their work. In all, we calculated we had to move 311 machine tools during the rebuild.
“There was an efficiency impact working around some of that upheaval but we were successful in bank-building ahead and running it off. Manufacturing is a tough job but it’s even tougher when they’re pulling down the roof and walls around you!”
Gary, Adam and Gareth were keen to stress the success of the Huddersfield refurbishment was down to a collective effort.
“The knowledge, the work ethic, the teamwork and the desire to get this project complete by the Huddersfield team was exceptional,” said Gareth. “The entire plant was involved in the work and they should feel proud of themselves.”
From a tiny wooden shed to global powerhouse
Had it not been for the 18-month hiatus brought about by the pandemic, Cummins Huddersfield would have celebrated the opening of its sparkling new facility in its 70th anniversary year.
The original company, incorporated in 1952 as Holset Engineering Co Ltd., was founded by business partners Brian Holmes and Paul Croset. It was acquired by Cummins Inc. in 1973 and rebranded as Cummins Turbo Technologies in 2006.
Starting out in a small wooden shed, Holset has grown into a global technological leader whose products are synonymous with outstanding performance, durability and a high standard of safety.
Over the past seven decades, Cummins has introduced a range of industry-leading air handling technologies under the Holset brand, including fixed, wastegate, variable geometry, two-stage, and exhaust throttle technology.
The Cummins Huddersfield campus is either side of St Andrew’s Road in the heart of the historic Yorkshire town famous for its textile industry heritage. Its technology and research centre is one of four around the world developing air handling technologies for global customers operating across diverse markets including on-highway, commercial vehicle, industrial, construction, agriculture, marine and power generation.
The other three tech centres are in Columbus (US), Pune (India), and Wuxi (China).
As part of its net zero emissions strategy, Cummins is investing in the development of alternative air handling solutions for zero carbon powertrains such as hydrogen, natural gas and alternative fuels.
There are around 200 engineers at Huddersfield focussed on helping Cummins achieve its ambitious environmental objectives.
