ENGINEERING BUILT
ON A CENTURY
OF EXPERIENCE
Serving local industry: How it began
Westin Engineering serves customers across a wide range of industries from its base in West Yorkshire. We are precision CNC machining specialists with a strong blend of skills, experience and machinery. And although our company was founded more than 100 years ago, we are relative newcomers.
It all started in 1921 when our founder, Walter Stanley Westin, established a company to serve growing local industry with electric motor repairs and rewinds. Westin Drives was born​
John Eastwood
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From the late 1940’s until the late seventies, Westin continued as an electrical repairs business, but also became the market leader in fireplace surrounds and canopies.
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Walter Westin retired during the 1960s and handed over to his sons Derek and Cyril.
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They retired in 1994 and the business, with its Phoenix Mills home, was bought by local businessman John Eastwood. Under his leadership, the business flourished.
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In 2017, Westin Drives moved from a small workshop in Phoenix Mills to another former textile milll, Grove Mills, which had been rebuilt after a fire in 1948.
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At the same time, as demand for in-house machining grew, Westin Engineering was formed – and has quickly developed into a thriving CNC subcontract manufacturer.​
Meet the Westin Engineering team
Ian Sheppard
Group MD
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Ian is Group Managing Director of the Westin Group of companies. Previously he had finance and operational roles within large retail groups. Away from work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, son and daughter.
Fraser Lynch
Operations Director
Fraser has been with Westin since 2006 working at first in Westin Drives, our electro-mechanical division. As a director, he helped to set up Westin Engineering. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Laura and baby, Iona, exploring pubs and playing tennis. ​
Ryan Ainley
Workshop Manager
Ryan, a highly skilled engineer, has responsibilities for quotations, production planning and customer liaison. Outside work he enjoys golf and football and spends a lot of time with his young family, encouraging his son and daughter to play as many sports as possible.
Michael Limb
Administration manager
Michael began his career with a company making drive systems for industrial motors and has over 35 years’ experience of field service / aftercare. He has been a field engineer, worked in technical support and progressed into management several years ago. He oversees the administrative management of Westin Engineering and Westin Drives, working to increase efficiency by improving procedures.
Eric Kelly Machinist
A gear and component grinding specialist, Eric is a highly skilled and experienced machine tool operator.
Out of work, he is a keen fisherman and spends as much time as he can with his grandchildren.
Daniel Hope Machinist
Daniel tried a few jobs, before a friend introduced him to engineering and offered him work in his Cleckheaton firm. While there he took a CNC City and Guilds college course. Eventually he left to go on the road as a tooling rep, but returned to mainstream engineering as a machine shop manager. He joined us last year. Daniel is a footballer and cricketing all-rounder and his love of sport is shared by his two sons.
John Ward
Machinist
John's career began at a company in his home city of Leeds in 1970, where he made steam turbines used on coal mine trucks. Further experience was gathered at other local firms in a city steeped in engineering. At one point he was turning crankshafts for diesel engines. He came to Westin Engineering in 2021. 'I'm happy here,' he says. Practical work is in his blood, for at home he enjoys woodworking – he completed a cabinet making course – in his cellar workshop. ​​
Tom Blakeley
Machinist
Born in Halifax, Tom went to Brighouse High School and from there to Kirklees College where he gained Levels 2 and 3 and an HNC in engineering, a profession that runs in the family.
His first job was at a company in Roberttown where he began working on 3-axis machines, progressing eventually to the complexities of 5-axis centres.
He joins our team with eight years of experience. In his spare time, he enjoys camper van outings and walking his dog.
Nathan King
Machinist
We welcomed Nathan back to our team as a qualified machinist after a short break to develop his skills elsewhere. He had started with us as a 16-year-old apprentice on leaving Brooksbank School in Elland. From there he went to Kirklees College Engineering Centre, gaining Levels 2 and 3 in manufacturing engineering and a Level 3 in technically advanced manufacturing. When he's not operating our turning centres, he's at the gym or following Huddersfield Town
John Marshall
Quality Assurance Engineer
John's career began with a technical apprenticeship at David Brown Tractors where he advanced via draughtsman, production and CNC to industrial engineer. Progression led him to Meltham Mills Engineering and on to a components firm in Leeds. Here, with experience in production, design, sales, and marketing, he became the Technical Engineering Manager. But another thread runs through his working life. Aged 18, he was called to the bar, with an apprenticeship at the Postcard pub in Holmfirth 'because I wanted something else to do.' Bar work ran alongside engineering for many years until his last position at the Old Bridge Hotel, Holmfirth.
Jayden Lang
Apprentice
Jayden's route to our CNC workshop began with passing a BTEC in engineering at Fartown High School. From there he went for a year to Kirklees College's Engineering Centre to advance his skills. He then came to Westin Engineering for work experience and was rewarded with an apprenticeship. Jayden is now learning the art of precision engineering. Happily for him, he lives on a few minutes away from work.
Oliver South
Apprentice
I've always wanted to create things, says Oliver. 'I'm really keen on design.' After leaving King James's School in Almondbury, he considered a career in the Royal Navy, but practicality won and he gained a place at Kirklees College where he's studying for a Level Two in engineering operations.
​While on a work placement at Westin Engineering, he was offered an apprenticeship. Away from work, he keeps fit at the gym.