Stephen Lee came to Colson Valves as Operations Manager in 2025, initially to bring structure to the shop floor and oversee our long-planned facility move. Since then, his remit has grown considerably. He now sits on the board as Operations Director, with responsibility for engineering, production planning, procurement, export licensing and the wider shop floor team.
Tell us about your background?
I spent just shy of 20 years in aerospace, starting as a 16-year-old apprentice and working my way up through design engineering, production management, and eventually senior operations. It was an incredible learning platform – we had global supply contracts, big-name customers, very demanding standards. But after two decades, I’d taken that role as far as I could, and I wanted a new challenge.
After aerospace I had spells in construction and manufacturing, which gave me a different kind of experience – lean implementation, business development, running dispersed teams. But what brought me to Colson was a conversation with Chris that went on for three hours. I just loved the business. The facility move was a big part of it – I’d done a lot of layout and process design work over the years but never actually relocated a whole operation. That was a box I didn’t know I wanted to tick. I came in as Operations Manager and things have moved on very quickly since.
Tell us about the move? It sounds like a significant undertaking?
It was. We identified this building – a former printing works – in October 2025. The mezzanine floor ran the entire footprint, there were air conditioning units everywhere, offices stretching across the shop floor. It needed gutting completely.
We got the keys in January 2026 and from there I had up to 12 different contractors on site simultaneously – electricians, builders, specialist trades – while the team were still operating out of the old site. We had to plan the move meticulously: finish one area, move one machine, keep production running throughout. Our hard deadline was to be out of the old building by the end of March.
What really surprised me was how the team took it all in their stride. I’d been worried about how people would respond once they were in a chilly, unfinished building with contractors still on site. But they just got on with it. By March, it felt like we’d always been here.
What does a typical day look like?
Very little of it is spent at my desk. I walk the shop floor every morning – talking to people, picking up issues, checking the environment. After that it could be anything: mentoring a team leader, covering a maintenance issue with Alex, helping out on the shop floor if we need an extra pair of hands. I’m not a desk person and I don’t think the business would be well served by one in this role. On moving day I was in overalls and thermals helping shift kit. That’s just how I work.
What do you enjoy most about the role?
The people side, and the fact that I’m still learning. I hadn’t worked in valves before coming here, and it’s been a steep climb – the materials, the applications, the design variation. But that’s what I enjoy. I like making things better, and I like doing it with a good team around me. The best team I’ve had, if I’m honest.
And what’s been the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge when I arrived was visibility – knowing what we were making, when, and what we needed to do it. The system we use isn’t really built for a business like ours, so I built a dashboard in Excel to plug the gap. We’ve put regular structured meetings in place now – production meetings, planning reviews. That groundwork has taken the best part of a year, but it’s in place.
What are you most looking forward to next?
Growth. We’ve spent the last year getting the right people in the right places and getting the foundations right. The move is done. Now I want to see what the business can actually do at full capacity – and then work out where the constraints are and how to remove them. There are capital investment conversations I’m hoping to have around process improvement. That’s the bit I’m excited about.
How would you describe the culture here to someone thinking of joining?
I’ve worked in big corporates, 1970s family businesses, everything in between. What we’ve got here is rare – the warmth and flexibility of a family business, but with enough structure and process that things actually get done. We hit our targets. We care about quality and safety. But we don’t drive people to it through fear. There are no politics, no one looking over your shoulder. People are trusted to get on with their work. Chris is the most people-oriented MD I’ve ever worked for, and I think that filters through everything.
If you’d like to find out more contact the Colson Valves team, we’re always happy to help!