A day in the life of Lara Edison – Batch and Furnace Supervisor at Encirc

People Commitment & Development is a core value here at Encirc. Investing in our people is integral to delivering on our vision of creating a better future. It’s also an ethos which brings with it a number of benefits – especially in terms of productivity. As Steve Jobs put it: “the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

We take pride in celebrating the successes of our employees that make Encirc what it is today and, with that in mind, have launched a series of blogs dedicated to sharing their inspiring stories.

To get these off to a great start, we caught up with Lara Edison, Batch and Furnace Supervisor at Encirc, to share her exciting journey with us so far.

Q. What attracted you to Encirc?

I’ve always been really interested in energy-intensive manufacturing. This lead to me studying a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University. I loved my degree and graduated with a 2:1 Masters (MEng degree).

Being part of the Cheshire Energy Hub Graduate programme meant that I undertook placements at a number of energy-intensive manufacturing companies in the Cheshire area. These included URENCO and SP Energy Networks. With Encirc being part of the Cheshire Energy Hub graduate Scheme and also my passion for sustainable manufacturing, it seemed like the perfect fit for me. So I joined the company as a Graduate Engineer in 2017.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your role when you started at Encirc and how it has developed?

Starting out as a Graduate Engineer at Encirc meant that I gained a breadth of experience as I had the opportunity to move around the various business units and experience the diverse roles the company has to offer. This meant I could learn about the glass and beverage divisions as well as Encirc’s unique filling & logistics capabilities. I also got to learn in detail about the chemical processes involved in glass manufacturing, engineering and even the commercial side of things.

As a Graduate Engineer, I assisted with colour testing, ensuring procedures were being correctly followed and I also got the opportunity to work on occasional projects. Projects included conducting an energy balance on a large (750+ tonnes per day) container glass furnace and co-ordinating material delivery for a furnace rebuild.

My colleagues really pushed me and wanted me to progress as quickly as I could, which was great. It gave me confidence and enabled to move from a graduate role to being a Batch and Furnace supervisor in just two years. The people here have always made me like a valued member of the team and truly embrace my willingness to learn.

Q. What do you enjoy most about working Encirc?

The people are what really make Encirc great, their passion and enthusiasm is contagious and it’s a fantastic environment to work in. Across the entire team there is such a wealth of knowledge and experience to learn from. I’ve always feel comfortable asking questions and believe that there is no cap on learning and developing here.

Working at Encirc has also given me loads of opportunities, including getting to complete numerous technical courses to expand my knowledge. It’s given me the chance to travel to various places too, such as Ireland, Milan, Eindhoven and Brussels. I’m excited to see where else is on the cards!

Q. What’s would you say is your proudest achievement to date at Encirc?

I’d definitely say my proudest moment is getting to work on the furnace rebuild. This type of opportunity only comes around every twelve years and the furnaces here at Encirc are the biggest in the world. Seeing it getting lit felt like a fantastic team achievement.

Q. What would you say to people looking to start a career in the industry?

The glass industry has an extremely exciting future and I would 100% recommend it to anyone looking for a career. Being young and working at a company like Encirc opens up doors to a whole spectrum of opportunities