I joined The Royal Air Force at 16 as an Apprentice Aircraft Engineer and went on to serve on front-line squadrons for 9 years. During my service, I worked on various aircraft types including Jaguars, Harriers and Nimrods. I was stationed in Germany for 6 of those years, but I spent a lot of time on short-term detachments in several places around the world including: Ascension Island and the Falklands during and after the conflict. After leaving the RAF I joined British Aerospace as a Technical Instructor based in Saudi Arabia. I then had a few jobs before eventually moving up to Aberdeen to begin my career in the Oil & Gas Industry. During my O&G career I have lived and worked in several places around the world including Stavanger Norway for 3 years, Abu Dhabi in the UAE for 3 years, Singapore for 2.5 years and Vancouver Canada. I was a director of a global Offshore Survey Company for 14 Years and spent over 25 years in the industry. After leaving British Aerospace, I studied at university in Aberdeen for three years and earned a master’s degree in business. During a downturn in the Oil & gas Industry in 2016/17, I decided to retire and support my wife who wanted to start her own retail business. We acquired a department store in Cheltenham and a mother & baby store in Evesham. This turned out to be a lot of hard work, and we quickly learnt how hard the retail sector is.

I was born in Hamilton, Scotland and had been part of a Scottish highland Dance School and always wanted to be a dancer or teacher of dance however back in 1982 there was not a lot of work around. I joined college after leaving school to study Business & Secretarial course followed by a youth training scheme for a year. I went to Blackpool and worked in the Winter Gardens and the Ballroom and other roles in hotels and so on for a year. I then got a role as a Sales Advisor based in Luton and it was here that I began to thrive in my first year I became Sales Team Leader for an Insurance company. I have had so many Sales Roles from selling Fire & Security Equipment, Aggregate & Concrete products, Insurance, and so on closing sales became natural to me. I always fell into a Sales Role one way or another. I then took a role as Manager for Ladbroke Racing in 1993 for the next 7 years and once nominated for betting shop manager of the year. This was in the days where we had to calculate a lot of numbers in our head. I knew I wanted to achieve something academic in my life and now having 2 young children. In 1999 I applied to university where I joined an Undergraduate Degree Course in Government Policy & Management. I also had a weekend job at an Army Camp in Melton Mowbray where I was the Officers Assistant. A now famous singer James Blunt was regular at the camp as he was an officer at that time. In my final year I located back to Scotland where I finished my degree and graduated in 2002. The next few years I worked in various roles one as a caseworker in the Job Centre. Mark and I had opened a large store in Cheltenham which also had a wedding department, so dealing with all the suppliers, and buying products for the business required a lot of time research which I love to do. We did this for several years but as we had worked so hard previously in our careers this was becoming 7 days a week. Mark was always being head hunted and decided to accept a role and again we would relocate back to Southport.

Brad joined The Royal Navy at 18 as an Aircraft Engineering Technician (AET), before leaving and joining the Unimaq team as one of our Mechanical Fitters. After a brief period of training, he jumped straight into an ongoing 8-colour Decorator build. After 5 years and a period of demonstrating a keen eye for process management, Brad developed into a new role as our Project Manager where he managed all aspects of several projects, including multiple UVMBRC’s and a pair of 8C Deco projects. Once a position opened in Sales, Brad put himself forward. With his depth of product knowledge and experience in Unimaq, Brad is in a great position to support our customers.

Carl joined Unimaq 13 years ago as the dispatch/Logistic co-ordinator after 10 years as a warehousing/production manager at a local family run furniture manufacturing company. After 1 year in this role, Carl was asked if he would like to take up a role as the operations manager. leading the team into an ongoing 8-colour Decorator build. In the 12 years within the role, he has overseen many 8-colour Decorator builds and deliveries to customers around the world amongst various other projects.

I joined Unimaq four years ago after spending three years as a Mechanical Engineer at Toyota Manufacturing, where I gained valuable experience working on Toyota’s latest engine production lines and advanced manufacturing processes.

My name is Laura Maskall, and I am currently the Head of Finance at Unimaq Limited, where I have worked for the past 15 years. I began my career with the company as an Accounts Assistant and, through hard work, dedication, and continuous professional development, I have progressed into a senior leadership role. This journey has given me extensive experience in financial management, budgeting, strategic planning, and leading business operations. Since becoming a mother to my daughter, Evie, who is 14 months old, I have been fortunate to work from home, allowing me to balance my professional responsibilities with family life. This experience has strengthened my organisational, time management, and problem-solving skills, as well as reinforced the importance of flexibility and efficiency.

I began my career as a Product Developer, designing life safety products before moving into Automation Engineering through an apprenticeship in Mechanical Industrial Design. Over five years in industry, I gained valuable hands-on experience covering materials, machinery design and project management while completing my degree, graduating with First-Class Honours. Following this, I joined Unimaq as a Design Engineer. Although I am still relatively new to the company, I have quickly integrated into the team and have enjoyed contributing to a collaborative and innovative working environment.

Mahdi joined UNIMAQ as a Service Engineer & Mechanical fitter after building valuable experience in the 2-piece can industry in both Iran and Pakistan. Working as a Can Decorator Machine Engineer, he developed strong expertise in machine assembly, installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, maintenance, and customer support. His international experience, combined with a practical engineering mindset and passion for continuous improvement, enables him to support customers around the world in keeping their production lines running efficiently. Mahdi enjoys solving technical challenges and working closely with customers to ensure they achieve the highest levels of machine performance and reliability.

Daniel joined Unimaq in February 2025 as Logistics Coordinator, bringing with him eight years of experience in the motor trade, where he specialised in vehicle purchasing and developed a strong background in organisation, supplier relationships and problem solving. Having become familiar with Unimaq through his partner, who has been part of the team for many years, Daniel recognised the opportunity to apply his experience in a completely different industry. Since joining the business, his role has naturally expanded beyond logistics and now includes responsibility for facilities management and health and safety, supporting the smooth day-to-day running of the business alongside its operational requirements.

After finishing school, I completed two years of military conscription as a combat engineer, carrying out essential front-line engineering duties such as breaching enemy fortifications, demolition work, bridge building, and minefield clearance. After completing my military service, I began my career at General Motors as a die model maker apprentice. This role involved designing, building, and repairing metal press tooling, molds, and dies used in mass manufacturing. During my apprenticeship, I received several awards, including Best Apprentice, Diligence, and Apprentice of the Year. I qualified with a 94% pass mark and went on to win a national award as the top apprentice of the year in South Africa. After qualifying I progressed to the design department where I designed press tooling for Body in White components. Following my career at GM, I joined African Hide in the tanning industry as Assistant Engineering Manager before moving to Comau, where I designed automated production lines for Body in White manufacturing and coordinated projects. After Comau, I joined Mecasonics, where I designed ultrasonic testing machines used to inspect turbine blades and aircraft components for defects. I then moved to ABT Products as Design Manager, where I designed cabs for Linde, Toyota, and Terex forklifts, as well as a cab and chassis for SuperCat’s all-terrain vehicle. In addition, I designed a monorail service train for the Severn Bridge. After leaving ABT Products, I became Managing Director of a pharmaceutical company that manufactured supplements, ointments, fortified glycerine soaps, and herbal teas. After selling the company, I sold my possessions and spent two years touring South Africa with my caravan. It was a life-changing experience, and I would recommend that everyone try it. I relocated from South Africa to the United Kingdom due to concerns about political corruption, violence, and poor governance, which I believed posed significant long-term challenges for the country. These concerns were reinforced by the ranking of the most dangerous cities in the world, where South Africa accounts for five of the top ten cities globally.