Meet Darren Ismay. Whilst you may not recognise his face, if you’ve bought a reconditioned woodworking machine from TM Machinery in the last five years, you’re sure to have experienced his work first-hand.
A self-proclaimed motorbike enthusiast and former racer with decades of experience working in manufacturing and motor mechanics, Darren joined TM Machinery in 2016 as an In-house Engineer with responsibility for coordinating all machinery shipments going in and out of the warehouse and refurbishing a wide range of used machinery. In the last six months, Darren has completed his level 3 apprenticeship and is now a fully qualified engineer.
“Refurbishing machinery is a big part of my job and an area I take great pride in,” says Darren, 50. “I am currently working on five machines, each needing varying levels of refurbishment. It’s my job to get them looking and working like new.
“Every machine is thoroughly cleaned before being stripped down, with parts serviced and replaced. The machine is then set-up and fully tested before being shipped to its new home. No job is ever the same and I really do love that – it keeps me on my toes. You also need to be a real problem solver, be open to approaching each project differently and have an eye for detail to get the job done well.”
Darren admits that he knows the machines he works on well – he’s even able to pick up on some faults through the tone of the motor – but this is where his technical abilities and passion for the industry shines though. This isn’t just a job for Darren, it’s his hobby. This is a man that spends his weekends maintaining and prepping bikes for racing events and rebuilding models that date back to the 1970’s. “The job is a good fit for me,” says Darren and it’s clear to see why.
His recent qualification has built on his existing skillset, with assessments in technical drawing, electrical testing, pneumatics, hydraulics and advanced maths for engineers. “It’s been over 30 years since I last stepped inside a classroom but it’s been a brilliant experience,” admits Darren. “It was always going to be a challenge but my enthusiasm and experience working at TM has contributed massively to my development. It feels really good to work for a company that wants to invest in its staff and values the work we do. Because of TM Machinery, I’m now able to complete on-site machinery installations and offer on-site maintenance and repairs to our customers, while continuing to refurbish machinery. I get great job satisfaction out of my work and knowing that I have a great team around me really adds to this.”
