10 September 2010
“I am very nervous but I take the competition very light hearted and with a lot of fun” said Julie.
In 2008 Julie White was appointed managing director of one of the UK’s largest drilling and sawing companies D-Drill (Master Drillers) Ltd. Julie White never misses a challenge and in May this year she was elected member of the board in the national Drilling and Sawing Association. The day after her appointment she was the first woman to compete in the European Cutting Pro Competition.
“Women can do as well in this business”
Just before the start of the UK Championship that took place in Daventry, Northamptonshire on 27 May, Julie said that she was very nervous but took the competition very light hearted and with a lot of fun. Nothing strange with that as many of the other 12 professional tool operators from all around the UK, all men, were also nervous, even though they do this as a living.
Julie, as D-Drill managing director, makes business decisions and planning strategies, but does not work with the heavy tools. “I just practised half a day drilling, half an hour on the wall saw and an hour on the hand saw to prepare for this competition. I wish I had had more time to practise, but work was calling all the Go Julie…Go! time,” says Julie.
Competing with highly skilled men working with these kind of tools every day, it was expected that Julie would qualify at the bottom. “I came 11th and I am very happy with that. Even more extraordinary is that I never came in the last position in any of the three disciplines of wall sawing, core drilling and hand sawing,” says Julie. Her decision and determination to participate in the Cutting Pro Competition was made two years ago when the first edition took place in the UK in 2008. “As you can see there are only men participating, except me. I am not a convinced feminist anyway. But I thought this competition would be a good opportunity to show that women can do this as well,” says Julie.
“A proud father”
Julie’s father, Peter White, is very proud of his daughter. Not just for being the first woman taking part in the Pro Cutting Competition. But probably even more so for buying out and taking over his lifetime creation, D-Drill, in 2008. And managing the business through the worst and longest recession since the second world war. Peter White started his business in 1967 and as a pioneer put diamond drilling on the map in the UK. Today D-Drill is one of the UK’s largest drilling and sawing contractors with nine branches spread out strategically over the nation. With some 40 year’s experience in the industry, Peter White is also well known to readers of PDi, as a columnist (see page 6) and President of the International Association of Concrete Drillers and Sawers as well as Chairman of the UK Drilling and Sawing Association DSA.
“However, D-Drill is now in Julie’s command since 2008. And I am confident and comfortable that she is taking the company and employees to new heights in her own way without my influence,” says Peter White
“Challaging first two years”
The first two years have been an enormous challenge for Julie. She took over the management just when the credit crunch and worldwide recession hit the UK.
“In November 2008 we lost some 20% of our turnover almost overnight. Then by spring 2009 we had lost 40%,” says Julie. “I took the decision to restructure the company to make us as tightly organised as possible for the new tough market reality and competitive environment. But with the aim to keep all our highly skilled sawers and drillers out in the field, since it takes almost five years to train operators to be well qualified.”
To get the best of direction and support in the company restructuring, Julie recruited Alan Rogers, a former logistical expert from the automotive industry, to become the company’s Operation Director. “Our business is polarising with much larger customers than in the past. And we, like the manufacturing industry, have to develop our business to become lean, efficient and safe to stay competitive,” says Julie. Now, almost three years later business is still down in the UK but there are some signs of slow recovery. And D-Drill has a new structure with a flexible workforce adapted for the current economic climate. “We have already seen that while business is weak D-Drill has increased its market share to compensate. And I believe that we will come out stronger than ever when the market starts to pick up again,” says Julie.
As a female leader in a man’s world, Julie White was also elected member of the board of the national Drilling and Sawing Association in May this year.
In response for new ideas on how to develop the industry in the future Julie said that what was valid for D-Drill to develop with the market’s demands also applies to the whole industry. “Even if we are often competing on the market, we can all learn from each other to develop our industry to become more efficient, environmentally friendly and safer to respond to client demands,” says Julie. “I also think the DSA has to do more to create much more benefits for our member companies. The ones that are members should feel that they have so many benefits that it cost them more not to be part of DSA. I will work hard for that.”
Julie also would like to see more women in this industry. “Last month at the IACDS meeting, I met a Swedish woman who was thinking about it, but has been very sceptical at taking over the family drilling and sawing company since her brother is not interested at all in the business. I told her to go for it, you will not regret it and you will make a difference,” says Julie.
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