HT Brigham Pressings is driving measurable gains in operational performance and process consistency as Dave Bloomer reaches his second anniversary as Operations Manager, bringing with him decades of experience from senior roles across some of the sector’s most recognised engineering businesses.
Since joining the West Midlands-based pressings and tooling specialist, Bloomer has played a central role in embedding structured, world-class manufacturing disciplines — drawing on leadership positions held at Goodrich, Bodycote and Paragon Engineering.
The appointment formed part of a broader strategy by HT Brigham to strengthen its operational backbone as it targets growth in high-value sectors including aerospace, defence and advanced engineering.
According to CEO Doug Allen, the impact of that decision is now clearly visible.
“Bringing Dave into the business was about mindset,” said Allen. “We wanted to introduce the kind of operational discipline and continuous improvement culture you see in world-class organisations, and two years on, that’s exactly what we’re seeing take hold across the business.”
Bloomer’s remit has focused on aligning production processes with the demands of increasingly complex customer programmes, particularly those requiring tight tolerances, repeatability and full quality traceability under standards such as AS9100.
This has included refining shopfloor workflows, strengthening production planning and introducing more robust performance metrics to improve visibility and accountability across operations.
“The opportunity at HT Brigham was clear from the outset,” said Bloomer. “The business already had strong technical capability in presswork, tooling and assemblies. The focus has been on creating the structure around that — ensuring processes are consistent, measurable and scalable as the company grows.”
A key priority has been the integration of best practice methodologies drawn from Bloomer’s previous roles in aerospace and high-specification engineering environments, where process control and documentation are critical to success.
“In larger organisations, systems and disciplines are often deeply embedded,” he explained. “What we’ve been doing here is adapting those principles to suit a more agile business — retaining flexibility, but with the rigour needed to support demanding sectors.”
HT Brigham’s investment in operational improvement comes at a time when manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver not just capacity, but reliability and resilience within their supply chains.
Allen believes this is where Bloomer’s experience is delivering the greatest value.
“Customers are looking for partners they can trust with complex, long-term programmes,” he said. “Dave’s background brings that level of credibility and assurance. It’s helping us position HT Brigham as a supplier that can consistently deliver at a higher level.”
Over the past two years, the company has reported improvements in on-time delivery, internal efficiencies and quality performance — metrics that are increasingly critical as OEMs reassess their supplier networks.
Looking ahead, Bloomer sees further opportunities to build on this foundation, particularly through continued investment in people, process and technology.
“This is about continuous progression,” he said. “We’ve established a strong base, but there’s always more to do — whether that’s further refining processes, developing skills within the team or leveraging new technologies to enhance capability.”
As HT Brigham continues to align its operations with the evolving needs of high-value manufacturing sectors, the leadership team believes the last two years mark a significant step in its long-term development.
“Sustainable growth in this industry is built on operational excellence,” Allen concluded. “With Dave leading that agenda, we’re in a strong position to keep moving forward.”
