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John Given - Inventive Inquisitor and Company Founder
For 25 years, John Given has directed manufacturing businesses in the USA and the UK to create profits in extraordinary
ways. Given's total experience is rare and covers the gamut of business conditions including, turnaround, new start-up, survival,
acquisition integration, change negotiation and business closure.
Given Innovation was founded in 1994 after Given and his family emigrated to the USA from UK. Building on years of experience
in executive management, operations, sourcing and business development, Given launched an independent consultancy based in
Greenville, South Carolina.
With beginnings in Birmingham, England, Given completed a formal apprenticeship at Hardy Spicer. Hardy Spicer, part of
the Blue Chip GKN group, produced automotive/truck power transmission shafts and employed 5000 people during the late seventies.
Given became the plant's youngest supervisor progressing to become Plant Manager - Assembly within five years. Those were
challenging times, and a period of economic recession. There were no excuses for wastefulness, disorder, slacking, poor quality
or late deliveries, and every occurrence needed a prompt solution. The union environment increased the challenge. Looking
ahead, the future offered a more aggressive competitive landscape with fewer jobs. Survival required advanced machine tools,
new working practices, higher levels of productivity and new operating strategies including the sourcing of materials from
lower cost regions. Given's determination and negotiating skill helped facilitate change. During that period, Given earned
a Mechanical Engineering Degree from the University of Central England and later in 1982 a MBA from the Cranfield School of
Management.
Continuing with GKN Composites, the next challenge was to start-up a new high technology facility to produce composite
springs for cargo vans & trucks. The start-up was on the existing and unionized GKN Sankey property in Telford, UK.
This resulted in the need to negotiate special working practices and rates of pay to suit the technology being deployed.
The outcome was a success. For the first time the principle of a cross-trained and flexible worker responsible for production
and inspection was accepted. Though GKN Composites was a technical and operational success and the recipient of the Queen's
Award for Technology in 1988, market demand didn't grow as expected resulting in the plant being mothballed after 8 years
of production.
Moving on, Given joined Powell Duffryn Standard (PDS) in Manchester, UK as its Managing Director to undertake a business
turnaround there. Given was also on the Acquisitions Team to grow a new railroad engineering group. The plan was to be the
next major railroad equipment provider to profit from the opening of the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France. The turnaround
was successful, an acquisition had been made in France and other acquisitions in the UK and Eastern Europe were in the due
diligence phase. PDS's competitive position was further strengthened by Given becoming a joint European patent holder of
a design feature that would maximize the number of automobiles that could be carried by the next generation of trans-European
railcars. Tragically, the business strategy coincided with the UK Government's declaration in 1991 to privatize British Railways.
That act created tremendous uncertainty and the market for new equipment evaporated. Eventually, the decision was made to
move UK operations to PDS's sister company in France leaving Given to preside over an orderly business closure in Manchester.
Employing 200 people at its peak, Given closed PDS's doors for the last time on Christmas Eve 1992 and Given went home to
contemplate the future.
Today, the Given Innovation Team offers proven expertise to help a business reach its full potential.
During the last fifteen years, Given has worked independently, with associates and under contract to prosper many notable
companies such Maxfli Golf, Sagem-Lucas, McKechnie Plastics, Datacom de Mexico, Axiohm, Avery Weigh-Tronix and the Carl Marks
Advisory Group.
Contact John Given - Click here
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