Unifabs are proud to celebrate a significant milestone for Ashley Roberts, their R&D Coordinator and CAD Engineer, who marks 10 years of service with the company. His journey is a brilliant example of how a hands-on, cross-functional role within manufacturing can develop into a rewarding engineering career in the UK.
Ashley joined Unifabs in 2015 early in his working career. He began his journey on the shop floor as a general labourer in the Sheet Metal Centre. With hard work and a drive to learn, he quickly progressed to trainee brake press operator, eventually becoming one of the most skilled brake press setters, writing programmes for multiple machines during a shift.
His dedication and hands-on knowledge led him into a supervisory role within the assembly department before moving into the design office in 2019. Ashley’s practical experience across multiple areas of manufacturing gave him a valuable perspective in the sheet metal design process. This enabled him to develop more efficient and production-friendly solutions to support our metal fabrication operations.
Building an Engineering Career in the UK
In 2022, Ashley took on additional responsibilities within the R&D department. He began supporting the coordination and supervision of R&D work on the shop floor. Since then, the department has seen consistent growth in output year on year. It has delivered a wide range of successful design and development projects across multiple industries. In Ashley’s first full year as R&D Coordinator, project output increased by over 50% — rising from 200 projects in 2022 to 306 in 2023. This growth highlights the strength and capability of the wider R&D team. It also reflects the positive impact of Ashley’s leadership, which has supported greater efficiency, better collaboration, and improved delivery capacity. Together, these improvements have helped Unifabs bring even more value to our customers and partners.
Today, Ashley also plays a key role in apprenticeship support at Unifabs. Working closely with theTechnical Director, Matt Grealy, he helps mentor apprentices, offering guidance on the design and development processes that drive modern manufacturing.
“Ashley is a real asset to the business,” says Matt Grealy, Technical Director at Unifabs (pictured left in image). “His journey reflects exactly what we value at Unifabs — continuous development, cross-functional knowledge, and a genuine passion for innovation. He’s not only a key member of our R&D team but also a great mentor for our apprentices.”
Unifabs are committed to investing in people. Ashley’s story is a fantastic example of how dedication and skill can shape a successful engineering career in the UK manufacturing industry.
Congratulations, Ashley, on your 10-year anniversary — and thank you from everyone at Unifabs for everything you bring to the team.
