This article is written by Carfulan Group founder Andrew Fulton, who reflects on the remarkable journeys of three men who have dedicated 28 years of their working lives to OGP UK — Graham Shaw, Ian Fletcher and Steve Fowkes.
In his own words, Andrew shares the stories that defined their early days, the pivotal roles they played in shaping the business, and the impact they continue to have on the company and its people today.
What follows isn’t just a look back at careers, but a celebration of loyalty, friendship and the very foundations on which OGP UK has been built.
Celebrating 28 Years of Graham, Ian and Steve
Once again I have the wonderful opportunity to reach back in time and remember events that have had far-reaching implications for the future of our company.
Twenty-eight years ago, DISC (GB) Limited were based in an industrial unit in Hatton. The company represented OGP Inc. and Sheffield Measurement.
We were on an upward trajectory and sought good, reliable engineers to improve our sales and service departments.
Graham Shaw – The First Pursuit
The first person I pursued was Graham Shaw. Graham was well known to me as I had previously worked with him at LK Tools.
I knew Graham to be dedicated, personable and committed — traits we were desperately looking for.
It took three approaches before we gained Graham’s attention. I think adding Sheffield Measurement to our portfolio probably piqued Graham’s interest.
Graham made an immediate impact. He helped professionalise the sales systems, outperformed his targets and propelled the business forward.
Over his time with the company, he has been responsible for one of the biggest single orders of CMMs, at Tallent Engineering, and the highest concentration of OGP machines at a single facility, BD Pharmaceuticals.
Graham has given his working life to our company. He has given us total loyalty and dedication. Without doubt, he is one of the best business decisions we ever made.
Ian Fletcher – From Line Marker to Service Manager
Next into the company came Ian Fletcher. Ian’s name had been put forward by Graham, who had worked with him at a previous company. It was very incestuous in those days!
I interviewed Ian one Saturday morning; I was repairing a pitch line marker at the time and was covered in white lime.
We had a brief discussion about his prior experience and about people we both knew in the industry.
He finished his interview by fixing the line marker!
Impressed with his personality and undoubted experience, coupled with a working line marker, we offered him the job.
God knows what he thought of us, but fortunately he agreed to join and has been instrumental in our success for the past 28 years.
Ian became the go-to engineer. What Graham sold, Ian installed and maintained. Many arguments ensued as Graham’s lust for sales success brought many challenges for Ian and his colleagues.
Ian’s ability to solve problems and provide knowledge and assistance to his colleagues made him the ideal candidate to replace our outgoing Service Manager.
He attacked this role with gusto, ensuring that customer satisfaction and financial performance were at the forefront of everything he did.
Our Service Engineers will also attest to his humanity and compassion, trying wherever possible to make their lives easier and more rewarding.
The low staff turnover in our after-sales operations and high level of customer retention are a direct result of Ian’s management skills.
I can confidently conclude that the business would not be where it is now without my decision 28 years ago to recruit the best line marker service engineer I’ve ever met!
Steve Fowkes – From Shy Apprentice to World-Class Engineer
Steve Fowkes was the third recruit in 1997, joining the company as our first apprentice.
I remember Steve as a very shy 16-year-old. He was so shy that for the first two years he didn’t communicate in English — he just grunted and nodded.
We sent Steve to trade school and buddied him up with senior service engineers who showed him the ropes and brought him out of his shell.
With his newfound confidence and ability to communicate in plain English, he dated and then married our very own and much-loved Helen, now Mrs Fowkes.
They have done their best to carry on the OGP succession plan by giving us Jamie, their firstborn and now a senior OGP engineer in his own right!
Steve went from strength to strength. It is no exaggeration to say that he has become the best and most knowledgeable QVI engineer in the world.
Steve has delivered huge multi-tiered installations across the UK and Ireland — projects that QVI themselves have said were not possible.
He has trained successive OGP recruits and helped us quickly deploy technicians to meet the rapid pace of technological advancements in today’s environments.
People like Steve come around once in a generation. He has always delivered, with high intelligence, elite skill sets and a wicked sense of humour.
No more grunting… when Steve speaks, everyone listens.
Finally, on a personal note, Graham, Ian and Steve have become friends. It has been an honour and a privilege to work alongside them.
I know Chris and Matt share in my hope that Graham, Ian and Steve will continue for years to come, making more memories, whilst helping future generations of OGP engineers achieve their ambitions.
Andrew Fulton, Founder, Carfulan Group
