An engineer is hanging up his micrometre after spending more than five decades on the shop floor. Gerry Dunne, who started his working career as an apprentice toolmaker with Brandauer in Birmingham in 1976, will retire as operations director of Pre-Met in Redditch at the end of this month. Dunne has spent the past seven years supporting the growth of the metal stampings and pressing specialist. 

The industry veteran has used his hand-on leadership style to champion lean manufacturing and just-in-time processes, helping the firm achieve more than £3m of new orders across automotive, rail and, more recently, defence. “It’s been a fantastic 50 years,” he says. “I’ve made so many lifelong friends and been involved in manufacturing businesses that make products we use in everyday life.” 

More information www.metalpressingsandstampings.co.uk