Glen and Graham Park celebrate combined 75 years at Euroglaze

Trade fabricator Euroglaze is said to be a proud family business – founded in 1979 by Alan Nettleton, father of current Managing Director Martin Nettleton. But there is another family name that is almost as synonymous with the Euroglaze brand though, and that is Park. Between them, brothers Glen and Graham Park have notched up an impressive 75 years with the Barnsley-based fabricator.

Glen joined the business first in 1985 as a shop floor operative and is now Operations Director, while Graham followed in 1990 and is now IT Manager.

Both have made a huge impact at Euroglaze over the decades and have played leading roles in transforming the company into a showcase for lean manufacturing, with a loyal nationwide customer base and a vast, and growing portfolio of Rehau and Liniar products.

Glen Park

Glen was already working in the window and door industry when he joined Euroglaze, looking for better career progression. Even he couldn’t have envisaged what that progression would look like though.

Over the years, he has moved from operative to supervisor and then to manager and now director, and, like many of the team, has benefited from a raft of training and education opportunities funded by Euroglaze. Glen now holds a management degree and a BTEC Level 7 Advanced Professional Diploma in management studies, equivalent to a Masters.

On top of that, he has received in-house training from consultants Brook Corporate Developments in the principles and application of lean manufacturing which are at the core of Euroglaze’s efficient operation.

Graham Park

Graham came to Euroglaze from the armed forces but, like Glen started out on the shopfloor. He did almost every role in production, from beading to gearing and hanging and windows and even drove deliveries when needed. While he originally only helped out in the office part time, his IT skills meant he was soon offered a full time role there.

It was Graham who was responsible for the implementation of First Degree’s Window Designer software at Euroglaze in 2000, but, for Euroglaze customers, he has probably made his biggest mark developing bespoke software for processing, tracking, ordering and stock control which gives them instant updates on lead times and product availability.

The pair have obviously seen massive changes in the decades they have spent with Euroglaze, but both say their loyalty and passion for the job are as strong as ever. Asked what they value most about their jobs, they both say it is the people they work with and the sense that Euroglaze feels like a family.

Glen said: “It’s a cliché to say Euroglaze is a family, but of course Graham and I actually are family so that does make a difference! It’s been a great experience to work alongside my brother all these years and to be able to share in the business’ success together.

“Our anniversary celebrations are amongst the highlights of my time here and we both have great memories of all the milestones we’ve achieved along the way.”

Asked whether they would recommend a career in windows and doors to young people joining today, both said yes. But Graham added that nothing could beat joining the Armed Forces first!

More info at: https://www.euroglaze.co.uk/