In 2024, our Head of Manufacturing South, Alanna Bowler, was named in the CITB Top 100 most Influential Women in Construction. In honour of Women in Construction Week™ (WIC Week™), we sat down with Alanna to ask her some questions about her time at DTS, as well as her top tips for anyone considering a career in construction.

What role did you start in at DTS?

I joined DTS in 2015 as a factory administrator. They had recently introduced a complex target pay system to the factory and needed someone to process timesheets from the factory and calculate the wages.  Being a bit of an excel nerd and a very logical thinker, this role suited me down to the ground!  In my previous position I had been quite interested in the finance aspect so being able to work with numbers interested me.

Can you tell us a bit about your career progression at DTS?

Sitting in the busy manufacturing office opposite Frank O’Reilly (who was production manager at the time), I absorbed a lot of what was going on around me.  Frank always encouraged me to go out in the yard or on the shop floor to look at something if I wanted to get a better understanding.  Whenever I questioned something on the timesheets that the factory had written we would head out to look at it.  This helped to build my knowledge of the whole manufacturing process.

Around 18 months into my time with the company they were recruiting for a logistics manager. As I had generally been quite curious about all aspects of the department, I was offered the opportunity to be taken on as a trainee manager. I took the opportunity and after two years became manager.

I was materials and logistics manager for two years until the company grew to a point where heading up both materials and logistics was too much for one person. I chose to take on the materials manager role.  At this point Frank had become factory manager, so I was still working very closely with him, often taking on roles that weren’t officially part of my remit. I had worked my way in to a trusted position and found myself as the go to person in the department to get something done or get answers.

When Frank was promoted to manufacturing director the Head of Manufacturing South position was open and it felt like a natural progression. I was successful and have been working in that role for two years.

What do you like about your job?

Every day there is a different challenge, and I get satisfaction from overcoming them. But I would say the main thing I like about my job is the team around me. It can be an intense and busy environment at times, but to have a group of people around that you can rely on and have a bit of a laugh with along the way makes a big difference.

What changes have you seen in the industry since you joined?

One thing that DTS – and at Witney in particular – have always been ahead of the curve on is a focus on automation. The level of automation that we now operate at in the Witney factory is fantastic for speed of manufacture, quality of kit and health and safety. It’s also positive for recruitment. Factory roles had traditionally been seen as labour intensive work that only a man would be capable of carrying out, but we’re now able to offer factory operative positions that are more accessible to all.

I’ve also seen a lot of changes when it comes to sustainability – our product has always lent itself well to sustainability, but there are many other things around that that have improved along the way. The installation of solar panels, for example, not only allows us to produce a lot of our own electricity, but it also gives us live information on how much energy we are consuming so that we can identify where we may have left equipment running or have equipment that uses a lot of energy that we could perhaps change for something more energy efficient.

What would you say to someone considering a career in construction?

Go into it with an open mind, absorb as much as you can from everyone and everything around you, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you ask someone a question about why they are doing something to better understand a process, it can inspire thoughts on what improvements could be made.  At some point a scenario will come up and that small conversation will pay off.

What changes do you think we’ll see in the industry over the next 5-10 years?

Having started in the manufacturing department nearly 10 years ago as one of two women, to today being head of the department with seven female colleagues and 10 male colleagues, I would hope to see more diversity come into play.  We have a way to go in bringing more diversity to the shop floor, but with more modern equipment and less gender stereotyping in young people growing up these days I see no reason why this can’t develop further.

Interested in working with us? We’re always looking out for new talent. Contact us at DTScareers@donaldsontimbersystems.com or take a look at our careers page for more information.