Developing tomorrow’s flexo engineers – Ben Granat’s path at Edale

“It was a shock,” he laughs. “Alex didn’t even tell me I’d been nominated. I found out from Archie while I was working downstairs. Then Alex said I’d need to write a speech, and me and Archie were so nervous about it.”

He may not have taken home the trophy, but the nomination reflected the same thing Archie’s win did and that is Edale’s commitment to developing the next generation of engineering talent.

Like many young apprentices, Ben didn’t start out expecting a career in print. After stepping away from university, he tried a range of roles including carpentry and electricals before spotting the Edale apprenticeship. “I honestly thought I was applying to build desktop printers,” he admits. “Even in the interview I still thought that. Then Alex took me downstairs and I saw these massive machines, tens of metres long, and I thought, okay… this is actually really cool.”

He got the job the very next day. “I was over the moon. It completely changed my direction.” Since joining, Ben has completed a full rotation through sub-assemblies, electrical, modular build, design and customer service, experience that has shaped how he approaches engineering.

“It gave me a fundamental understanding of how everything fits together,” he says. “When you’ve actually built the parts, wired them, tested them and then seen them run on a press, you approach problems differently.”

For Ben, one of the biggest turning points was his first customer site visit. “The first time I saw real production, finished labels, cartons, embellishments, that’s when it hit me. I didn’t realise how big this industry actually is.” He laughs that he now checks every box and label when he goes shopping. “My girlfriend hates it.”

Customer service, in particular, helped him grow. “Explaining engineering fixes over email is totally different to being in front of the machine. You learn how to communicate clearly and think logically.” However, Ben’s biggest takeaway has been simple. “Talk to people. Everyone here has so much knowledge. Ask the right questions and they’ll teach you everything.”

Ben is excited about where the industry is heading, especially after seeing digital workflows in action.

“During one of my apprenticeship visits, we went to Pulse Inks, and everything there was tracked on a tablet, no confusion, no paperwork. That’s where I think the industry is going.” It’s that blend of engineering, automation and hands-on problem-solving that keeps him motivated. “My job is incredibly rewarding. There are chances to travel, meet people and see the impact these machines have. I’m proud to work at Edale. It gave me direction at a time when I felt lost.”

Going back to the beginning, he recalls the awards night with a smile: “Archie and I were outside the hotel saying, ‘If someone told us a few years ago we’d be here, we wouldn’t have believed them. It was surreal.”