Some of our team recently crossed the pond to visit our brilliant suppliers, High Purity New England (HPNE), in the USA.

Will Thompson, our newest team member and BPES’ Technical Sales Specialist for HPNE, joined the HPNE team first for a week of introductions, orientation and training on exciting new vendors. Will and the HPNE team were joined by BPES’ Director, Tom, and Head of Sales, Emma, the following week for a few days of presentations and discussions about how to continue making an impact together in the UK.

Here’s what Will got up to during his time at HPNE:

Newcastle > London > Boston, Massachusetts

Day 1

My first day with HPNE started with an initial welcome to the team facilitated by Cat Hartford, before a great company introduction and presentation from HPNE’s CEO, Mark Sitcoske.

Frank Lombardi, Head of L&D, took me through what they call their NEO (New Employment Orientation). This covered everything from HPNE’s values and focus on quality, through to explanations of each department and their roles.

We ended the first interesting day with dinner in nearby Providence!

Will at HPNE’s offices in Smithfield, Rhode Island

Day 2

Day 2 was a full staff training day for a new vendor that will hopefully improve choice and lead time for customers. This positive development further secures supply of material and allows HPNE to remain highly competitive on lead times and quality.

The afternoon was spent meeting some of the sales team and being introduced to Katie, my go-to contact at HPNE. And then it was out for another great dinner with the team!

Taking a trip to Boston to see some exciting projects and clients

Day 3

A marketing meeting with HPNE’s sales team made up the morning of my third day. It was beneficial to get an understanding of the wins and challenges people are currently experiencing and how the marketing team are planning to support the company’s growth and brand awareness.

In the afternoon, Mike Giuliano took me out to see some of the clients and projects in Boston Seaport and Cambridge. Mike has 13 years’ experience at HPNE. It was amazing to see his depth of knowledge and how he approached solving customer challenges. 

Gowning practice prior to cleanroom tour!

Discovering the inner workings of a successful company is always an exciting experience, and my week at HPNE was no exception! I was fortunate enough to meet with the brilliant minds behind HPNE’s client services, materials, warehouse and logistics, change control and engineering departments. This gave me a comprehensive understanding of the many moving parts that make up their exceptional process.

On Friday I was given a tour of their state-of-the-art ISO class 7 cleanroom. Witnessing the highly skilled operators in action was a truly insightful experience. From assembling intricate components to conducting specialty testing, every step was executed with precision and care. I was impressed by their unwavering attention to detail and the impressive level of expertise displayed.

Overall, my first week at HPNE was a valuable learning experience that allowed me to witness first-hand the dedication and skill that goes into producing top-quality products.

Will and the brilliant HPNE team!

Stay tuned to hear what Emma and Tom got up to when they joined Will State-side! 

BPES is High Purity New England’s exclusive UK distributor. If you’d like to discuss HPNE’s range of products, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Will!