Meet the Maker: David Kirk

In this edition of our Meet the Maker series, we sat down with our quality control expert, David Kirk, to explore how we prioritise quality at Verallia. We delve into David’s impressive 16-year journey at Verallia and what drew him to quality, alongside how he intends to drive improvement in the future.

 

To kick things off, can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do at Verallia?

I am 52 years of age and I have been involved in quality in one shape or another since the age of 17. I have always been in heavy manufacturing, originally in the steel industry, and then I moved over to the glass sector in 2008, specifically Allied Glass, which we now know as Verallia. So, I have been with the company for just over 16 years.

 

Tell us a bit about your journey at Verallia and how you got to this point?

My initial role was Quality Control Manager at our Knottingley site, which I was in for 5 years, and then I moved across to the Leeds site keeping the same position. From there, I moved into the Group Quality Control Manager role and then into Quality Systems Manager for around 6 and a half years where I oversaw standards, new quality legislation, and product legislation. And then for 2 and a half years, I headed up our decoration facility, but overall, I have a lot of experience in quality which has set me in good stead for the role I am in now, Quality Director.

 

I have built up a lot of experience, that has been based from a sound apprenticeship and from there been given the opportunity by Verallia to be exposed to different parts of a quality role, seeing both sides of quality control and quality assurance.

 

What drew you to quality management?

When I entered the quality industry, the first thing I noticed was the interesting materials and as a result I qualified in material science. The material aspect of quality has always been of interest to me, and that’s what drew me in. To add to this, it’s the variety the role offers and that still applies to this day, no two days are the same. You make a difference by the fact that what goes out meets our standards and delights the customers, delivering on our promises. People who don’t come from a manufacturing background don’t see how much work goes on behind the scenes to produce a safe and legal product, particularly in packaging. And creating that good quality, safe product is a real driver for me.

 

What I also enjoy is demystifying quality standards. When most people see a quality specification or a technical quality document, they automatically think they don’t understand it, this can even occur at senior management level. What I’ve tried to do throughout my career and what I continue to do is make things simple so everyone can understand them and it’s much easier to drive success from there.

 

What do you enjoy most about working at Verallia?

The people. Everybody in the team is very driven in what they do and want to do it well, and they’re all really good people. Some people have worked for this company and indeed the wider Verallia Group for most of their careers, and there’s something about the glass industry, it’s infectious.

 

What key project are you working on right now?

We are working on quality improvement projects across our main sites and integrating with Verallia’s standards and systems to ensure consistency. We are driving improvements in how the products reach our customers, in terms of packaging and logistics. Aside from this, there is a massive emphasis on aligning with the Group CSR initiatives. As a part of the quality assurance side of the role, I have responsibilities in assisting the drive for sustainability in our supply chain.

 

The other major project is aligning with the amendments to the BRC packaging standard which is the global standard for packaging materials. The standards are reviewed and amended every three years and the changes that have just been announced will take effect in April 2025. Each time it is updated, there is more harmonisation between the BRC food standard and the BRC packaging standard, and I think eventually these will become one standard. The standard underpins all of our values around product quality, safety, and legality.

We always try to go above and beyond in terms of quality.

 

What are the key focuses of your role going forward?

One key focus of my role going forward is to continually strive to meet and exceed customer expectations for our product whilst meeting regulatory requirements.

 

In 12 months’ time, what do you think Verallia will look like?

I think Verallia will continue to develop as a whole and introduce new products that we have not produced before, and even enter into new categories. I think there will be more emphasis on categories such as wines and sparkling wines bottles that historically we have not produced in the UK in large volumes, but the other regions of Verallia do. Whilst we may not have been producing these bottle types recently, we have the existing skills in the business so we can upscale to meet the needs of these categories. Manufacturing of these items will be carried out in accordance with well-established process control plans for this type of product which have already been successfully utilised elsewhere within the Verallia Group. The sharing of knowledge and lessons learned is a fundamental activity for us.

To summarise, there will be a diverse range of products that we design and manufacture, which will be exciting.

 

What is your go-to drink?

My go-to drink is a very cold South American Chardonnay.

 

As Verallia continues to evolve, so do our quality control measures to ensure optimal glass packaging production. If you are seeking a glass bottle manufacturer who prioritises quality above all, then get in touch with our team.