Thank You Lynne!

When Lynne was asked how she wanted to retire from Tomlinson, and what sort of party she should have, she responded by saying, "I'd like to sneak out". Well we are sorry Lynne, but we couldn't let that happen!

Lynne is the granddaughter of our founder Mr John A. A. Tomlinson, and daughter of Barrie Tomlinson. She has invested a great deal of time, hard work and passion into Tomlinson: the company that exists today is very different to the one she first arrived at.

Lynne first joined the board when older figureheads retired and the company was in need of fresh ideas. Efficiency gains through the effective use of new computerisation was a cornerstone of her leadership.

It was not all plain sailing and Lynne soon had to deal with the recession of 2008-2009. She faced this challenge head on, her main goal being to survive the recession without resorting to redundancies, something that we are grateful for.

Lynne also improved the ageing plant and building. We gained a new modern facade, contemporary offices, meeting areas and studio, full air-conditioning throughout the facility and a completely new roof.

In particular, die production was dramatically improved. Lynne invested in new technology to improve capability and quality. Skilled hand engravers were retrained to use digital modelling software, thus allowing full integration with new CNC machining facilities. More recently, the production of chemically etched products was revolutionised through the acquisition of computer to plate technology: the Luscher machine replacing outdated photographic processes and greatly reducing waste.

As Lynne begins her well-earned retirement, she can rest assured that she has left the company in a strong position. One of her wishes was for Tomlinson to be a recognised name within the industry and this has been achieved: today Tomlinson is a globally recognised brand.

Tomlinson has a loyal workforce which is also strengthened by becoming an Employee Owned Company. Lynne remains on the Trustee Board of Tomlinson so she will be able to continue to help the company develop in the future.

We wish her well in her retirement, which we are sure she will embrace with the same enthusiasm she brought to Tomlinson.