Operator Alison Cox joined AESC when our first battery plant was still under construction.
She became one of our longest serving and most respected operators before she retired at the end of February 2024.
Her skill, experience and teamwork mean she’ll be missed by all of us at AESC UK. Before she left she shared her experience of working in electric vehicle battery manufacturing.
AESC: Take us back to when you started at AESC UK
Alison: It was still a building site when I first joined the company, so we had to do our construction site exams to be able to work here. At first we came to work in hard hats.
I was already involved in production at Twinings and they were closing so I was looking for something new to start in and AESC were hunting for people for their new battery plant. It immediately appealed because I like anything new.
It was definitely the right choice. I got a permanent job, I got shift allowance and I got to work with new technology. We were all learning to operate new machinery. Nobody knew anything about the technology, it was completely new to the UK. It was a brand new product and it is still today.
There’s lot of innovation going on at AESC and I like that challenge, so this is a job that has always had plenty of challenges to keep me interested and keep me here.
AESC: What are you going to miss about AESC?
Alison: The fact we are a team, all the crews I’ve been on have had a real togetherness and everybody works together and supports each other. Even if you’re having a bad day, someone will look out for you and we all help each other.
AESC: What have you got planned for retirement?
I’m going to take it easy to start off with, I’m getting a puppy. I’ve got two sons and a granddaughter who will keep me well occupied. I’ve got loads of things planned, all these things to look forward to. I’ll be sad to leave everybody but it’s the right time for me, before we move into the new factory.
AESC: What advice would you have for anyone thinking about a career in manufacturing?
Alison: In this type of battery manufacturing it’s a brand new product that can only go further and expand. We are so short of these sites in the UK that there’ll be demand for our products for the foreseeable future and nowadays that’s hard to get.
Plus there is the challenge and the innovation of making batteries, all the new things that are still ongoing, so if you’re interested in a career in battery manufacturing there’s nothing to stop people having a look and giving it a go.
