By Dana Engelbert

Rockwell Collins Image
Customer focused - Rockwell Collins United Kingdom (RCUK) is located in Reading, which is a town in Berkshire in the southeast of England about halfway between London and Oxford. Employees in the facility are committed to quality customer service.

At the heart of the Thames Valley in the southeast of England is a thriving town known for its somewhat unique place in history. It serves as the parliament seat in times of plague or other natural disasters; yet, Reading, England, lacks designation as an "official city."

Once known as the "three Bs" town famous for its bricks, biscuits, and beer, Reading offers residents and visitors alike an array of shopping centers, cinemas, restaurants and cultural attractions from which to choose. But, the area - situated in the county of Berkshire halfway between London and Oxford - also is chock-full of high-tech companies.

"We used to be known as the 'three Bs' town, but those industries have moved out of the area and high-tech companies like Rockwell Collins have taken their place," said Steve Nedev, a test equipment technician at our facility in Reading. "We have since become a high-tech town, and our company is in there with the best."

It is that high profile and longstanding presence in this community that has attracted most Rockwell Collins United Kingdom (RCUK) employees. It also is that longstanding presence that ultimately leads those employees to long-time careers.

"I joined Rockwell Collins because it has been a stable company and had been here in Reading for a long time," said Nedev, who also was interested in returning to equipment calibration work when he came on board eight years ago. "So, when the opportunity presented itself, I took it."

A wise investment

According to Steve Banham, managing director of RCUK, the Rockwell Collins investment in England was made in 1955 when a service center was established near Heathrow Airport to support growth in the commercial airline industry.

In 1979, senior leadership made a strategic move and relocated the facility to Reading, which is close to the airport, and our major defense customers. That location serves customers based in the U.K., and also is beneficial for those who need to travel from other locations.

Today, about 350 employees - software and systems engineers, technicians, business development and administrative specialists - work daily to service commercial and government customers throughout Europe and around the world.

There are about 30 airlines among the facility's global customers, and many of those airlines rely on HERMES™ - a software datalink system that was developed in Reading - to translate operational information coming from aircraft management systems into airline ground systems and vice versa.

According to Banham, that information can then be used to manage an airline's entire fleet, ensuring each plane is serviced when needed and that it gets to its next destination. The Rockwell Collins and HERMES technology have provided a solid foundation for such varied customers.

"One of our strengths is our ability to bring technology originally developed in the United States into the United Kingdom in a cost-effective manner," said Banham. "And, that allows us to develop competitive solutions for our international customers."

In fact, RCUK has captured millions of dollars worth of business by customizing technology originally developed in several of our other locations including Poway, Calif., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

"We bring it [to Reading] and 'anglicize' it," said Banham. "We see tremendous export opportunities throughout Europe and other global market segments for products and systems that originated in the U.S., and have been adapted or enhanced in Reading to better meet the requirements of our international customers."

Photo by Gary Manhine, London, England
Longstanding presence - Steve Nedev joined Rockwell Collins eight years ago because of our company's longstanding presence in the United Kingdom. A test equipment technician in Reading, England, Nedev works on circuit boards such as this Pre-Amplifier Board, which is used in AC Power Supply Units.

"Our facility is unique in that there is a diverse, talented, and committed group of professional people who complement each other and work to provide the best possible service," said Nedev. "We're all focused on providing the best product possible to our customers."

First-class service

That customer-centric focus in Reading is one of several reasons employees like Kellie Farragher and Julie Wilder decided to join our company.

Dedicated to providing top-notch customer service, Farragher thoroughly enjoys her role as an assistant to Steve Fahy, director of International Sales for Business and Regional Systems.

"I have a passion for providing first-class service," said Farragher, who began her Rockwell Collins career in July 2007. "The customer interaction I receive and the opportunities I have to meet with so many different people from around the world makes my role thoroughly enjoyable."

Wilder agrees. "We go the extra mile to deliver great service," said Wilder, a contracts officer in the Government Systems Contract department who joined our company in May 1992. "We are focused and we work as a team to do everything possible for our customers."

And, that customer dedication isn't only reserved for those outside of our company.

"Our customers here in the service center are primarily our colleagues," said Nedev. "We apply the same Rockwell Collins philosophy of adding value by using our Lean skills to constantly improve the service we provide regardless of who you are.

"At the end of the day, if my colleagues are waiting on me, then so are our customers," continued Nedev, noting the service center operates two shifts and works to keep pace with customer needs. "No one wants to wait long for repairs, and I always keep that in mind when I'm supporting my colleagues."

A positive work environment

That type of customer dedication has seemingly spilled over to the Reading community. An employee-driven group known as the Community Action from Rockwell [Collins] Employee (CARE) Committee raises funds and distributes that money to area community service organizations.

The group supports the World's Down Syndrome Swimming Championships, the area Multiple Sclerosis organization, Duchess of Kent Hospice for the terminally ill, Children with Leukemia, and the Thames Valley Air Ambulance Service. In addition, the group provides regular funding to train puppies as guide dogs for the blind.

According to Farragher, it is those values of community support and integrity that make for a positive work environment.

"I really like and share our company values - teamwork, innovation, integrity, leadership, and customer focus," said Farragher, who within weeks of joining our company helped raise funds for Cancer Research U.K. "And, I especially like the emphasis placed on teamwork and integrity."

- Dana Engelbert is a freelance writer.