Meet the Textile Bonding Team
We have nearly 50 staff and here, in no particular order, are a few of the key players:
Mike Swithenbank - Production Manager, has been with the company for more than 26 years. He originally joined our Laminating Division fresh from school but had progressed through the company to the stage where he was able to take on supervision of the new Coating Division in 1989. He now has responsibility for the whole factory (3 coating lines and 3 laminating machines) which runs 24 hours a day. At home Mike pretends to be a farmer, living with his wife Juliette, son and daughter on a small holding South of Auckland.
email mikes@texbond.co.nz
John Jones - General Manager, has been with Textile Bonding for more than eight years but has been in the textile coating industry virtually all his working life. John grew up in Wales but has come to Textile Bonding from coating factories in UK and Australia. John also spent five years with a flock business in Massachusetts where coating companies, including Textile Bonding, were his customers. He has a very wide knowledge of the coating industry and the people in it. One of John's most important tasks is to keep in close touch with all our coating customers and here he is seen talking to a customer in Belgium. John also uses his Skype skills to keep in touch with his daughters and grandchildren in Australia and Wales.
email johnj@texbond.co.nz Skype name: jj19481
Richard Yates JP, ANZIM - Joint Managing Director, started the business with Dave Tibby more than 30 years ago. Richard started life in a family seed business (a publicly listed company) but has had his own businesses since 1973. When Textile Bonding began coating in 1989 he took responsibility for what was initially a small part of the company. It has now grown to where it is well over 90% of our turnover. The recent success, of which Richard is really proud, is the expansion over the last 9 years into world-wide export. We are now exporting coated products to 23 countries from USA and UK to Cyprus and Singapore. Richard is keen on his golf but started late in life and admits to being not very good. He also takes a keen interest in his local hospice of which he is deputy chairman.
email richard@texbond.co.nz Skype name: richard.yates4
Sonia Nicholson - Financial Controller, has been in this position for ten years. Prior to joining Textile Bonding she spent nine years in an administrative position with the New Zealand Army. This involved several overseas postings. Sonia brings a wealth of experience, perseverance and a tidy mind to the administrative side of our business. Sonia is also a dog breeder having recently produced a litter of eight pedigree Newfoundland puppies. They behaved impeccably when brought into the office for a visit!
email sonia@texbond.co.nz
Dave Tibby - Joint Managing Director, started the company with Richard Yates in 1978. Initially he ran it by himself with a small staff and they were involved only in textile laminating. Dave built the business from very modest beginnings to the stage where we were the predominant producer of laminated automotive upholstery for New Zealand's motor vehicle assembly industry. Dave still looks after the laminating side of our business, although this has contracted as manufacturing has moved away from New Zealand. Consequently, although he is at Textile Bonding every day, he spends more time involved in other business activities. Dave is a keen golfer who does not easily resist the offer of 18 holes.
email dave@texbond.co.nz
Pravin Patel M.Sc. - Customer Services and Production Planning, came to New Zealand 23 years ago (after a career in pharmaceuticals in India) and has worked in the textile industry here since then. He rose to a senior position with an Auckland knitting, dyeing and finishing company that unfortunately did not survive the rationalisation process that has taken place in the textile industry in many parts of the Western world. At that company he was Production Manager with a staff of 40 and, when he joined Textile Bonding six years ago, came very highly recommended. Pravin is a keen sportsman. Cricket is his passion but he is a strong follower of volley ball, hockey and in fact any sport. When India plays New Zealand at cricket there is a lot of friendly rivalry in our office.
email pravin@texbond.co.nz
Glynis Quinn - Customer Services and Export Liaison, joined the industry 28 years ago and has been with Textile Bonding over 26 years. Her first job at a company that became a part of Textile Bonding was as tea lady but it soon became clear that she was far more capable than that! Today our Export Division would be lost without Glynis' knowledge of customers' requirements, of port and Customs regulations in 23 different countries, of shipping schedules, etc. Her cheerful personality keeps us all going when we are under pressure.
email glynisq@texbond.co.nz
Pauru Balsara – Warehouse Manager. Pauru has been a “Kiwi” for ten years but first joined Textile Bonding one year later. He left us after six years to help his brother out in a retail business but when that was over we were very happy to take him back. He spent his earlier years at Textile Bonding working on production machinery but was an obvious choice when his present position became vacant. You may even notice an improvement in our efficiency now that Pauru is controlling the taking in and sending out of goods! Pauru lives locally with his wife and two children who are Dubai born where he spent 20 years before coming to NZ. Like many Indians his sporting passion is cricket but much of his non-work time is taken up with his role as a priest in the Zoroastrian church, the oldest religion in the world. On 1st July 2011 Pauru and his family celebrated completing 10 years in New Zealand. They enjoy life here but are especially pleased with the children’s education.
Joylyn Yates - Receptionist and Adminstration, is Richard's wife and comes in two days a week to keep us all in line! Joylyn has worked in several businesses with Richard for the last 35 years and together they make a good complimentary team. Joylyn loves to be with any of her eight grandchildren and it seems they like being with her - so perhaps she is a bit of a "softie" after all.
email richard@texbond.co.nz