Paul Vaughan on Working at John Lawrie Tubulars

Have you always worked in drilling equipment manufacturing industry?

Yes, for 45 years. I started as a junior and then moved into product inspection for about 3 years. After that I did about 5 years f inspection work and since then I’ve been a ‘jack of all trades’ – my role entails all aspects of coordinating a sale from working with clients to purchasing to manufacturing to logistics and so on. My job title says sales but that’s only half the story.

What does your job entail?

My day-to-day is pretty varied—I quote customer enquiries, source and price raw materials, and help design products that fit what our customers are looking for. I also support the workshop with manufacturing and design standards, and help organise collections and deliveries, whether it’s parts heading to sub-contractors or finished products going out to customers. No two days are the same, and that’s what I enjoy about it.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I spend a lot of my day talking with customers and suppliers—either over the phone or by email—to understand what they need and what materials the job involves. Once that’s clear, I’ll source the materials, negotiate prices, and work out the manufacturing costs to pull together a final quote for the customer.

I also take care of organising freight in and out every day and keep in touch with the manufacturing team to make sure materials arrive on time and finished piling products go out to customers ton time and on budget. It’s a busy role with lots of moving parts, but I enjoy keeping things running smoothly.

What are the favourite parts of your job?

Talking with customers, discussing their needs and schedules so I can offer the best solutions for their specifications.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Getting the product to the right pricing level to suit both our customers and our business needs.

What are you most proud of, do you have any achievements you’d like to highlight?

Helping to develop our manufacturing business, I’m looking forward to supporting its growth over the coming years. I also take pride in passing on my knowledge to the team around me so that when I retire, we have the capability to continue without issues.