Careers

Maria

Head of Finance & Administration

I joined Philip Payne on the 1st September 1999 as part-time Sales Administrator having previously worked in the insurance industry.

In 2002, I took on Accounting Duties whilst studying part time to achieve my AAT Qualifications. In 2005, I became a qualified Member of the AAT (MAAT) and took over the responsibility for Management Accounts at Philip Payne.

In 2010, my role expanded to take on Management Accounts for Philip Payne’s sister business – Solite Europe in Stockport for a 6 year period following their acquisition by our parent company FW Thorpe plc.

In November 2023, I was promoted to Head of Finance & Administration.

Over the years, my role and hours have changed in accordance with workloads and demands, and Philip Payne has been a supportive employer throughout.

Adam

Head of Technical

Within the Technical department we are a close knit team wearing many hats meaning no two days are the same! We cover aspects such as product design and testing, lighting design, Specto-XT system management and commissioning. We also support production with documents, drawing and fault finding.

I started work at Philip Payne in September 2010 as a Technical Apprentice.

I have worked in the technical department throughout my career at Philip Payne. Starting as an apprentice and studying at college. This allowed me to gain knowledge of the business but also developing and learning at the same time.

The company and wider group have always been very supportive of this structure and this allowed me to be promoted to Head of Technical in June 2023.

One of the proudest achievements is being a key part in developing and delivering the industry leading Oak Exit Sign – ARDEN. This recently won two awards in the prestigious Build Back Better Awards including the top accolade – Platinum.

Philip Payne as a business has always been very supportive and a close working team. Long service is seen throughout the business and highlights the commitment to supporting employees.

Will

Technical Services Engineer

After being made redundant from a previous employer due to the struggles of COVID-19, I joined Philip Payne in October 2020 as a second year apprentice and I really landed on my feet. Having a supportive team around me I was able to complete my apprenticeship in October 2023 and was given the opportunity to further develop my career by going to university. Supported by Philip Payne, I am now studying for my bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering along side working in the technical department as part of technical services.

As part of the technical team, every day is different which is what I really enjoy about the job. The variety of the role means I am always occupied as one day I could be thermal testing a luminaire and the next I could be on the train to Newcastle to commission our Specto-XT products. The technical services role has allowed me to develop my skills in key areas such as computer aided design, web development, product development, sustainability, fault finding and many more.

One of my earliest and proudest achievements would be when I designed the replacement gear tray for Birmingham New Street’s exit signs, converting them from fluorescent to LED. I am reminded of this every time I get the train into the city centre. It is nice to see your work when you are out and about.

Philip Payne and the rest of the group are proud of their apprentice development as a lot of the management have come through the apprenticeship scheme. As an ex-apprentice, looking to further develop my career, this gives me assurance that I will be supported in the future when looking to progress into a more senior role.

Craig

Sales Director

Heading up the Sales function, as Sales Director for Philip Payne, I take care of full profit and loss responsibility of the sales across the business. I oversee and manage the team and customer experience within Philip Payne.

I joined Philip Payne’s sister brand, Thorlux, as Export Director in 2013. In that role, I’m proud of having driven a 100% growth performance across all regions.

I transferred to Philip Payne in 2019. I really value the family feel here, how we are all connected, and how we are working towards our company vision.

Inder

Assembly Operative

I joined Philip Payne here in Solihull in 2007 and have worked on the assembly line ever since. It’s a very happy place with nice, hardworking people and I’ve never had any problems.

I’ve been here so long that I almost know how to make everything off by heart! It’s always a little stressful when we have a new product to make but there’s always help at hand.

Dave & Jim

Supervisors

We’re twin brothers. Jim is Philip Payne’s longest serving employee, having joined in July 1980 with Dave joining in August 1983. We have both celebrated our 40 year long service awards presented to us by FW Thorpe plc’s Group Chairman Mike Allcock.

Dave’s current role is in Technical Assembly Supervisor and Jim’s is Metal Fabrication Supervisor within Production.

Dave previously worked for our father doing electrical installation and contracting work. This included building one off specials for TV companies. I started at Philip Payne as one of the assembly workers.

As well as in assembly, he has had various other roles including stores / goods in and technical. My role in the company has developed as the company has significantly grown.

We are proud of the prestigious sites that have Philip Payne lighting installed in them. Its always a pleasure to see signs made by Philip Payne in many prestigious offices, hotels, castles and hospitals.

Philip Payne has a friendly atmosphere to work in, plus we live close to the factory, so a short commute is always good – but, being key holders, that also has its disadvantages at times when there is an alarm call!