Increased business volumes and surging demand have led Wheelabrator Group to create a new senior role in its specialist after-market team.

Increased business volumes have led Wheelabrator Group to create a new senior role in its specialist after-market team. The world market leader in manufacturing and supplying surface preparation and finishing machinery has appointed Lawson Pryke director, equipment modernisation programmes (EMP) within its Wheelabrator Plus service. Mr Pryke has been with the group for over 30 years and served as technical director for the last seven years: so was selected as the ideal candidate for this position.

Wheelabrator Group EMP activities have grown considerably over the last few years as customers continue to recognise the benefits of incorporating the latest technology into their exisiting equipment via EMP rather than spending on new: therefore they have gained considerable savings in time and money.

The EMP team begin the programme by inspecting customers' current equipment and assessing present and future needs before making the appropriate recommendations.

In his new role, Mr Pryke will lead the entire EMP initiative.

Mr Pryke said: 'Our group experience and technology is considerable, the EMP campaign has been hugely successful and become an increasingly important part of our business, which has led to this full time position.

I'm delighted to have been asked to take on this challenge and am very much looking forward to further developing our EMP opportunities'.

The EMPs are part of the wider Wheelabrator Plus offering, which comprises an extensive range of equipment support services.

These include training, maintenance, service and parts, consumables, polyurethane fixtures and masking, plus media supplies for blasting, vibratory equipment and washing.

Staffordshire-born Mr Pryke joined Wheelabrator Group in 1974, after attending North Cheshire Engineering College (now South Trafford College) in 1969, where he gained the full technical certificate of the Mechanical Institute of Technical Engineers.

He went on to hold technical and commercial posts, allied to project engineering and management, which included research and development responsibilities.

He also became an active member of the European Committee for CE Standards on Blast Equipment.

As technical director, Mr Pryke was responsible for the UK (Tilghman Wheelabrator) wheel and special airblast machine design.

He oversaw the development of UK-based EMP services and more recently focused on domestic wheelblast equipment sales, as part of the European heavy duty equipment specialist team.

Welcoming Mr Pryke to his new role, Clifford Parr, Wheelabrator Plus managing director in Europe, to whom he will report, said: 'Anyone who knows Lawson will be familiar with his wealth of knowledge about, and passion for, our technology.

They will also realise he is completely dedicated to our business.