Meet the Team
Paul Welsby - Managing Director
Paul is a relative newcomer to Shorts, joining the company as Managing Director in 1996, being a Mancunian it has taken the last 15 years for the Yorkshiremen at Shorts to accept him as an equal. Being a music enthusiast Paul is fond of the 'Three Degrees' having completed a Bsc in Chemical Engineering, an MBA and a PhD in Thermodynamics. Prior to joining Shorts Paul ran a subsidiary business for a national utility company.
Paul is responsible for the strategic and day to day management of Shorts and its business.
Email: Paul.welsby@shorts-lifts.co.uk
Lift Division
Ian Watkinson - Sales Manager - Lifts
Ian is currently Shorts longest standing employee having joined the company back in 1966. Ian began his career at Shorts as an apprentice draftsman, before gaining experience of the business spending time on the factory floor and a few years installing on site before returning to the drawing office to complete his apprenticeship. Ian remained with Shorts through their transition from manufacturing company to supply chain and has progressed through the company to his current role as Sales Manager for the Complete lift division.
In his current role Ian is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the complete lift sales team, as well as preparing quotations, processing orders for manufacture, installation including site surveys and after sales. Ian is also responsible for liaising directly with manufacturers to ensure compliance of products with all current standards.
Email: ian.watkinson@shorts-lifts.co.uk
David Cooke - Technical Sales Engineer
David originally joined Shorts in 1980 for 5 years before leaving and rejoining the company again in 1997. David brings a wealth of experience to the lift division team having completed an apprenticeship as a Mechanical Engineer in the lift and mechanical handling industry, then subsequently transferring to the drawing office as a qualified design draughtsman/ engineer. David also has experience working in service and repair of lifts as well as time spent in the sales/estimating department at Shorts, before moving into installation , manufacturing and modernisation.
David's current role at Shorts involves sales engineering and estimating, the production of Auto-cad layout drawings, liaising direct with the manufacturer for order of lifts and dealing with installation technical problems and after sales customer service.
Email: david.cooke@shorts-lifts.co.uk
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Alex Smith - Technical Sales Engineer
Alex joined Shorts in 2002, having first worked for the lift industry during his year in industry as part of a degree in Design Engineering at Huddersfield University. On completion of his degree Alex returned to his placement company gaining experience of the lift industry before joining Shorts as part of the lift division. In his current role Alex is a point of contact for complete lift sales including service & goods lifts as well as the full range of disabled access products. Alex is responsible for producing full written quotations, site specific layout drawings and liaising with manufacturer for order of lifts.
Email: alex.smith@shorts-lifts.co.uk
David Benson - Technical Sales Engineer
David originally joined Shorts in 2001, before leaving to work for a major lift company where he was responsible for lifts from receipt of order through to handover and installation, liaising with clients, builders, architects and consultants. In 2011 David rejoined the Shorts team after a 6 year absence to work within the new lift division providing layout drawings, liaising direct with manufacturers regarding design and production of lifts and technical sales support for customers. David's early lift experience began with an apprenticeship at Keighley Lifts, followed by 10years in the drawing office and sales team for Hammond & Champness and 3 years at O & K Escalators. David also has several years of experience outside the lift industry having spent 10years as Chief draughtsman/ Senior project manager for a company manufacturing & installing equipment for the food industry.
Email: david.benson@shorts-lifts.co.uk
Claire Pelling - Logistics & Installation Coordinator
Claire joined Shorts in 2000 and is responsible for monitoring the import of all Shorts bespoke lift products. In her role Claire is required to organise deliveries of lifts within the UK and manage sub-contractors for pre-site surveys and installations.
Claire is also the point of contact for Sematic sales and deals with quotations through to sales orders for Sematic complete doors and components.
Email: claire.pelling@shorts-lifts.co.uk
Linda Sutcliffe - Administration
Linda has been with the company since 2002 and is an intricate part of the Shorts team providing full administrative support to both staff and customers. Linda's duties involve processing quotations for Shorts bespoke lift packages and ensuring that customers receive the service and information they require.
Email: linda.sutcliffe@shorts-lifts.co.uk
Components Division
Daniel Lynch - Technical Sales Manager
Daniel joined Shorts (for the first time) in 1994 as a Technical Sales Suppport Engineer, after 7 happy years learning his craft he departed for Australia and spent a year at a design engineering company, following his return to the UK Daniel spent 4 years working for Network Lifts as a Project Manager finally returning from the wilderness to Shorts Lifts in November of 2006 to fill the role of Technical Sales Manager.
Email: daniel.lynch@shorts-northern.co.uk
Andrew Saltmarshe - Southern Sales Manager
Andrew joined Shorts in 2010 bringing his 22years experience of the lift industry to the lift components division. Andrew gained a HND in Electrical/electronic engineering before beginning his professional career as a Quality Engineer with an Electronic Manufacturing company. By 1989 the allure of the lift industry drew Andrew to join the New Lift Sales division at Kone Lifts, he then went on to work with Hammond & Champness in Contract Sales, then as a Service Supervisor and finally as the Bristol Branch manager both before and after H&C's merge with ThyssenKrupp Elevator. Post the millennium Andrew continued to work for ThyssenKrupp Elevators as a Key Accounts manager before taking on responsibility for National accounts and national call centre team as the National Account Manager.
After his time at ThyssenKrupp Andrew briefly rejoined the electronics industry before joining the team at Shorts. Andrew's role within the lift components division is to assist in the development of sales and customer relationships, and provided a dedicated Southern point of contact for component sales.
Email: andrew.saltmarshe@shorts-southern.co.uk
Richard Armstrong - Technical Sales Engineer
Richard joined Shorts as a fresh faced apprentice in 1998 working with the new lift team providing technical drawings, quotations and support for customer queries. In 2009 after establishing a decade of experience in the lift industry Richard joined the expanding lift components division where he currently works providing quotations, technical support & after sales, development of the lift component range and modernization products.
Email: richard.armstrong@shorts-northern.co.uk
Daniel Baracskay - Storesman
Daniel joined Shorts fresh from completing his A-levels in 2010, to provide further support to the lift components division. Daniel is responsible for the day to day management of the lift components stock levels and ensuring timely dispatch of customer orders.
Email: daniel.baracksay@shorts-lifts.co.uk
Hannah-Natalie Hosanee - Marketing Manager
Hannah joined the Shorts team in 2010 and is responsible for co-ordinating the marketing activities for Shorts both online and off-line. Hannah comes from a design and marketing background having gained a degree in Design Management & Innovation from DeMontfort University and a Masters in Marketing from The University of Leicester. She also has several years experience working on marketing campaigns with companies from various industries including Creative consultancies, Hospitality, Events agencies and within the Financial Services industry.
Email: hannah.hosanee@shorts-northern.co.uk
After Sales Support Manager
David first joined Shorts as a Technical Sales Engineer in 2006 after completing a Modern Apprenticeship in Automotive Engineering. David spent 5 successful years at Shorts and completed a HNC and Foundation Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
In 2011 David attempted to the leave the lift industry and spent 6 months pursuing a career in the Water Treatment Industry. The pull of the lift industry proved too strong and David rejoined to Shorts in September 2011 as After Sales Support Manager.
As After Sales Support Manager David is responsible for managing the sourcing and supply of lift spares and components for the lifts that Shorts supply to the industry. Other duties include the managing of warehouse staff and improving After Sales systems and procedure.
David recently graduated with a First Class degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bradford University.
Email: david.drake@shorts-lifts.co.uk
Accounts
David Cragg - Financial Controller
David joined Shorts in 2005 and is responsible for overseeing the day to day finance function of the company as well as providing a valuable contribution to the long term business planning strategy of Shorts Industries Ltd. David qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2002 and has worked in industry since 2003.
Email: david.Cragg@shorts-lifts.co.uk
Wendy Ali - Accounts Administrator
Southern Office
Omar Marfoua - General Manager
Omar joined Shorts in 1991, originally based at the Bradford office Omar moved South in 2004 to set up the Shorts Southern branch. Omar's 2 decades in the company began with a stint as an electrical technician, then moving to work on a consultancy basis for company within the Read Holdings group before returning to Shorts Bradford office to continue providing support with the electrical side of installations. Omar currently heads up the Southern office in a business development role, but also continues to provide technical electrical expertise and key account management.
Omar has a BSC in electrical engineering, and a wealth of practical experience from on-site visits throughout his time in the lift industry.
Email: omar.marfoua@shorts-southern.co.uk
Gary Gilbertson - Technical Sales Manager
Gary originally joined the Shorts team in 2005 providing technical expertise on Macpuarsa, before leaving in 2007 and rejoining Shorts in 2011. In his years away from Shorts Gary has been gaining hands on experience of the lift industry, working in the field testing and commissioning new and modernised lift installations. As the Technical Sales Manager for the Southern office Gary is responsible for the selection and design of bespoke modernisation solutions, and also provides a point of contact for customers with queries of a technical nature. Gary is widely experienced within the lift industry and is qualified to NVQ level 4.
Email: gary.gilbertson@shorts-southern.co.uk
