With Summer finally arriving in May, Whitehall Recruitment exhibited at Chem UK, the UK’s largest chemical supply chain expo. With this year’s edition being the first that Whitehall had attended, we were eagerly anticipating what the show would bring. By the end of the two day event however, it was by all accounts a resounding success. The show offered us a chance to meet and speak with our clients and candidates, with the added benefit of reaching out to a wider section of the chemical industry, and we were certainly kept busy for most of the time. The sticks of rock that we were handing out also proved a hit!
It was a brilliant show to explore, and we had fun having a go at some of the competitions on the stands and admiring the many industrial pumps that were on display! The atmosphere around the venue was buzzing, which lasted throughout both days. It is increasingly becoming an important fixture each year for the industry calendar, as a means of discussing and providing support in supply chain, regulation, technical advice and other matters, and as the show is also increasing by 25% next year, it is sure to get bigger and better. As such, we were very keen to get it booked for next year, and we can now announce that we have already secured a stand for the show in 2024, and are excited to build on the success of this year’s event.
As is our tradition at such events, we also ran our prize draw, with the lucky winner taking home a bottle of premium champagne and box of chocolates. With plenty of interest from visitors to the stand, Steve Pickworth of Caldic UK was declared the winner.
Steve Pickworth at Caldic UK was the winner of the Whitehall Champagne and Chocolate draw!
Heather and I attended the Oil and Colour Chemists Association (OCCA) Industry Networking Lunch on the 14th June, which was an excellent chance to catch up with our industry colleagues, building on from our time at Chem UK. As an OCCA sponsor we were given the opportunity to display a table-top stand and to present a short introduction on the work we do in the industry. As well as welcoming new sponsors to the OCCA family, we were also presented with preparations for next year’s Surfexexhibition, the biennial OCCA showcase for the coatings industry, and the plans that are being made to make the 2024 edition the best yet. It is scheduled for the 4th and 5th June 2024 and we are proud to be exhibiting once again.
Heather and Tom on our table top stand at the OCCA networking lunch
As part of our focus on bringing through young talent through to the coatings industry, Whitehall will be attending University Insight Days in the Autumn, at the University of Warwick. These events are being hosted by OCCA as a way of encouraging more undergraduates to consider the coatings industry as a potential career pathway, and in doing so we will be supporting undergraduates in thinking about the first steps of their career, including help with CV writing, interview preparation and guidance on career options, putting the coatings industry and its many advantages front and centre.
The outreach does not stop there however, as OCCA are also hosting SURCON 2023, on the 21st and 22nd November 2023, also at the University of Warwick, to bring together industry and academia in presenting their technical findings and to share ideas. It is imperative to conduct dialogue between commercial and academic interests, and there has never been a more important time in order to drive forward a more sustainable future as well as harness the power of Britain’s most prestigious Universities in supporting the UK paint manufacturing and jobs. Needless to say this will further highlight a coatings career as a vibrant choice to pursue for young chemists and offer a chance to bring on board the brightest minds to the industry.
As the leading recruiter for the paints and coatings industry, we have some fantastic open opportunities, including a development chemist role with a major UK industrial coatings manufacturer, a quality manager for a renowned powder coatings manufacturer, and key account manager positions in both can coatings and industrial coatings markets. You can find out more by following the links below:
Development Chemist - Nottinghamshire - https://lnkd.in/erzrdiqN
Key Account Manager - Can Coatings - UK - https://lnkd.in/eN3bkPPJ
Quality Manager - Staffordshire - https://lnkd.in/e2QWXJi9
Area Sales Manager - North - https://lnkd.in/eej69eWm
We are also pleased to continue demonstrating our international pedigree by showcasing two very exciting roles, with a major adhesives company looking to gain a foothold in the German market, who are looking for a Technical Support Engineer and an Inside Sales Representative. The two successful applicants will be assisting the company to start up its operations Germany, so is a hugely exciting opportunity for individuals looking to make a lasting impact.
Moving away from paints and adhesives, in November we will be in attendance at SCS Formulate, the annual exhibition for the personal care and cosmetic industries. This always promises to be a fun and colourful show, which we are thrilled to be attending again and to meet new faces.
Whether you are looking to hire in either the coatings or any of our other specialist industries, or are looking for the next step or your career, do not hesitate to get in touch.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
University Insight Day University of Warwick TBC
SCS Formulate Tuesday 14th November to Wednesday 15th November
SURCON 2023 - Tuesday 21st November 2023 to Wednesday 22nd November 2023
CHEM UK 2024 Wednesday 15th May to Thursday 16th May 2024
SURFEX 2024 Tuesday 4th June to Wednesday 5th June 2024