Arthur Grimes

Arthur Grimes began his engineering career at Birmingham-based Brooke Tool 47 years ago. Having gained the relevant experience, he set up Dearson Tools with his brother, Roy, 38 years ago in the Jewellery Quarter. As their reputation for quality spread throughout the Midlands, and beyond, Dearson quickly grew into a thriving tooling business, and it was not long before new premises had to be found to accommodate the increasing volumes of business.

Arthur calls himself a ‘Jack of all Trades’, skilled in all machinery on the shop floor as well as tool design, manufacturing, costing and general admin. He firmly believes that Dearson has remained competitive through planned investment in new technologies and by ensuring that the shop floor team has the knowledge, skills and experience to maximise the competitive advantages the new equipment offers.

“Years ago, if a component came onto the market, it would remain unchanged for ten or fifteen years,” he says. “But now, advanced technology means that a component could be out of date within a year to eighteen months. Therefore, having adaptable machinery, management and staff is vital.”

Arthur is also committed to keeping the management and staff communicating effectively. “The Directors are all on the shop floor, partly because we are highly skilled in operating the machinery, but also because if we use the machines and know the staff, everyone is inclined to work together as a team. So many companies are struggling because of the divide between management and the shop floor.”

Dearson’s focus on Project Management and Consultancy was a natural evolution within the company. “Years of experience in design and prototyping means that we are all experts in consultancy. Once we get into a company, we offer a full service to fulfil all of their needs,” Arthur explains. “No matter how large or small their issue may be, we collaborate to solve it in a timely, cost effective and efficient manner. There are no longer any specialists within the tooling industry, and the more diversifying we do, the more we achieve for our client.”