PMG welcomes our new Chair!
The role of the PMG Chair, transfers to the Vice Chair, every 2 – 3 years and it was at our AGM in January 2025, that PMG’s outgoing Chair, Karen Friendship, MD of Aldermans, handed over the reins to our new Chair, Lee Crocker, MD and Chair of Board at Kawasaki PM.
As we convey our enormous thanks to Karen for her amazing support to the group and the wider sector over the last 3 years, the PMG rests assured that Lee is ready to use his in-depth knowledge and dedication to our local manufacturing sector to ensure the group continues to go from strength to strength.
As one of the original founding companies of the PMG in 1977, Kawasaki PM (KPM UK) – then known as Brown & Sharpe – has had a long and strong presence within the PMG, with their previous MD & CEO Steve Cardew also chairing the group.
Having been involved with the PMG for the last 15 years, Lee is very familiar with the core values of the PMG and its significance in the local area. It was while working at Centrax Components Ltd, that Lee became the very first Chair of the PMG Continuous Improvement Sub-Group and then joined the PMG Committee representing Kawasaki PM eight years ago and has acted as Vice-Chair for the last 3 years,
Lee has a vast experience in the manufacturing industry, having worked across multiple sectors, including Aerospace, Pharmaceutical, Automotive and Precision Machinery, all of which has led him to work in multiple locations, such as Germany, Denmark, Serbia, USA, Canada, Japan, Singapore and China.
For the last 12 years, Lee has been working at the Kawasaki facility in Ernesettle, Plymouth, where he started as Operations Director in 2013, before progressing to General Manager and then Managing Director 3 years ago and, in addition, has been Chairperson since April 2024.
As well as his involvement with the PMG, Lee is also an active member of the South-West regional Advisory Board for Make UK and has previously chaired the Marine, Mechanical Industrial Advisory Committee for the University of Plymouth’s Engineering School. Therefore, it is with much positivity that PMG announces, Lee Crocker as our new Chair.
Thank you to all those members and stakeholders who have already sent warm wishes to communicate their support for Lee in this role, as the PMG continues to be a source of shared learning, solution-finding and sector representation as we go forward in 2025.
