'Engineering was in my blood': Sharon Lane, managing director of Tees Components

Beginnings

I was born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea on the North East coast. Engineering was in the blood as my father was a time-served engineer, later moving into sales. He joined Tees Components in the late 1970s before buying out the owners.

1995-97, Keele University

I studied maths and management science, and was the first in my family to do a degree. I found it difficult to equate my studies to the practical world. Instead, I filled my spare time with part-time jobs, until making the difficult decision to leave and join the family business near Saltburn.

1997-2001, Apprentice, TTE

I embarked on a four-year apprenticeship in machining and technical drawing with Middlesbrough-based technical training provider TTE, completing my work experience with Tees Components and Dormor Machine & Engineering. It was challenging as, out of 600 trainees, there were just four females. 

2003-05, Design engineer, Darchem

I joined Darchem (now Esterline) near Stockton-on-Tees, as a trainee design engineer, involved in the design of blast-proof and fireproof enclosures for safety-critical equipment. After a year I was appointed senior engineer, responsible for overseeing the design department, scheduling resources and ensuring that projects were completed on time. I studied part-time over several years, gaining an HNC in production engineering and a first-class BEng honours degree at Teesside University, together with an MBA in business administration and management at Durham University. I’m currently working towards gaining chartered engineer status.

2005-09, General manager, Tees Components

I returned to Tees Components as general manager, responsible for promoting Tees White Gill Thrusters, which the company had acquired that year. This involved taking care of current customers and developing new markets. These pump-jet thrusters are fitted to a variety of ocean-going vessels, including Arctic research and naval ships – providing back-up propulsion and the ability for highly accurate manoeuvrability. The company has since gained an international reputation by evolving and adapting the 360º thrusters, producing a variety of units together with steering and controls. 

2009-18

Since it was founded in 1963, Tees Components has developed into one of the country’s most comprehensive and versatile heavy machinists, operating more than 20 CNC machines producing precision parts 24 hours a day for such high-profile projects as the Channel Tunnel, Wembley Arch and Humber Bridge. However, the economic downturn of 2009 brought major challenges as the company was reliant on subcontract fabrication and foundry work in traditional sectors like oil and gas. I’ve since steered the business into new markets and, as a result, we have stronger, long-term accounts and new clients in areas such as renewables and defence. We aim to be the number-one go-to company when it comes to delivering complex, high-risk and large-scale components. There has been a great deal of investment in recent years. We have one of the largest machining capacities in the UK and machine components in a range of metals.

2018-PRESENT, Managing director, Tees Components

Last year my father Clive Wood retired into the chairman role and I was appointed managing director. During the same year I was voted Teesside Business Executive of the Year and the business won the prestigious order to provide Tees White Gill Thrusters to the RRS Sir David Attenborough – formerly known as Boaty McBoatface. The four 60-T3S-QR azimuth thrusters will allow the polar research vessel to manoeuvre and position extremely accurately, even in heavy ice. In line with our strategy to diversify and innovate, Tees Components has carried out machining work on the Royal Navy’s latest Astute class of nuclear submarines. And we’re working on an exciting project to supply a prototype direct-drive 250kW generator for GreenSpur Renewables, in partnership with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.