GSM Valtech Industries Ltd

GSM Group Becomes Employee-Owned, Securing the Legacy of Its Founders

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 27/01/2026

GSM Group Limited is proud to announce a major milestone in its history: the business has officially transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), placing ownership of the Group into the hands of its employees.

The change in ownership marks the realisation of a long-held ambition of founders Frances Dodd and her late husband Barry Dodd CBE, who built GSM with the belief that its greatest strength has always been its people. By becoming employee-owned, GSM is ensuring that the individuals who contribute to its success every day now have a meaningful stake in its future.

The Group, which includes GSM Graphic Arts Limited in Thirsk and GSM Valtech Industries Limited in Wetherby, has transferred ownership from Frances Dodd to an Employee Ownership Trust. Under this structure, all employees are beneficiaries of the Trust and will share collectively in the long-term success of the business.

Frances Dodd will continue to play an active role in GSM as a Trustee, working alongside employee representatives from both sites to help guide the company into its next chapter.

Reflecting on the transition, Frances Dodd said:

“I am proud to be able to pass the business on to our wonderful team who have collectively, under CEO Paul Wright and Finance Director Gill Gitsham, continued to drive GSM forward. This transition marks an exciting new era for the company and for all of our employees. Barry and I always believed that the success of GSM came from its people — this ensures that legacy will live on.”

CEO Paul Wright added:

“This is a proud day for everyone at GSM. Becoming employee-owned means putting our people first and giving them a real stake in the business. Our team will now truly share in the rewards of their hard work and dedication, helping to ensure our continued growth and success. This transition is a lasting tribute to Frances and Barry’s vision and secures GSM’s independence for generations to come.”

Founded more than 50 years ago, GSM has grown into a world-class manufacturing group, supplying industrial nameplates, graphic overlays, and precision-engineered components to customers across a wide range of sectors, including electronics & electrical equipment, telecommunications & broadcast, and aerospace & defence.

The move to employee ownership reinforces GSM’s long-standing commitment to its people, its customers, and the communities of North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. It ensures the business remains innovative, sustainable, and proudly local, while protecting the values on which it was built.

GSM Valtech vows to continue with its programme of investment, despite the economic downtown.

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 25/06/2020

GSM Valtech has continued to operate throughout the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, supplying to many key industries including those in the medical supply chain.

The company, which continues to monitor the ‘new norm’ and implement changes to the working practices based on the latest advice from the Government, including maintaining social distancing in all departments, spoke about the challenges they face.

Talking to Andrew Burrows, the External Business Development Manager, he spoke about how the company has responded to the Covid-19 situation, “We have seen an increase in the number of new customers as existing suppliers to them have closed for a period. As a company, we welcome all new enquiries for the supply of sheet metal work, assemblies, and anything on the bill of materials associated with the sheet metal component supply.”

He went on to say, “Some companies have limited capacity currently in their buying departments and we are therefore offering our help where we can.”

Yet despite the economic downturn, GSM Valtech is continuing with its programme of investment. Andrew went on to say, “Our philosophy is to continually develop and invest in all aspects of our company, including people, plant, and machinery. This approach, together with our sales and marketing strategy will enable us to maintain our momentum during these difficult times.

The recent purchase of a new CNC stud welding machine with the capability to attach a wide range of studs and a new high-powered spot-welding machine has further enhanced product quality and repeatability. As well as offering the opportunity to further reduce manufacturing lead-times.”

Andrew went on to talk about why the company is getting behind ‘Backing Britain.’ “Given the current situation, we are ‘Backing Britain’ to enable us to reach out to companies in the UK who are unsure of whether to ‘reshore’ or not. Let us not forget that ‘Brexit’ is still festering in the background and we want to help companies make the right decisions in their supply chain going forward.”

Turning Challenges into Opportunities – and Inspiring the Next Generation!

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 16/12/2025

Charlotte attended Leeds City College to receive a Distinction for her Level 2 Welding course – a huge achievement and a testament to her hard work and determination.

But what truly stood out was what happened next!
At the last minute, Charlotte was asked to speak in front of a room of 60 students, teachers, and businesses about the benefits of apprenticeships. Without hesitation, she stepped up and delivered an incredible talk that left the room inspired.

Moments like this remind us that success isn’t just about personal achievement – it’s about lifting others along the way. After her talk, a 16-year-old student approached Charlotte to learn more about her journey. Charlotte took the time to share her story and advice, showing what real mentorship looks like.

This is what growth and opportunity are all about: confidence, resilience, and the willingness to inspire others.
Congratulations, Charlotte – you’re not just building skills, you’re building futures. 👏

Inspiration AdultLearning Apprenticeships CareerGrowth Leadership #MadeInYorkshire

GSM Valtech Reflects on Growth, Investment and Employee Ownership Following Made in Yorkshire Visit

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 19/05/2026

We were pleased to recently welcome Sam Sleight from Made in Yorkshire back to GSM Valtech for a guided tour of our Wetherby site and a wider conversation with our CEO, Paul Wright.

It was a great opportunity to show Sam how the business has continued to evolve since rejoining Made in Group almost 18 months ago. From changes across the shop floor to investment in machining, finishing, quality, process improvement and people, there has been a great deal of progress across the site.

Investment in Machining Capability

One of the key areas we discussed was the growth of our machining capability. Machining has been a targeted growth area for GSM Valtech, and all five of our machines are currently full.

While this puts us in a strong position, our focus is not simply on adding more machines. We are looking carefully at efficiency, work holding, machine uptime and how we create capacity in a sustainable way before making further capital investment.

A major strength of GSM Valtech is the capability we have built around machining. Many businesses will machine a component and then send it elsewhere for finishing, coating or treatment. Our difference is that we can support much of that process in-house.

A More Joined-Up Manufacturing Partner

From Allochrome and NCP treatments through to SurTec 650 and powder coating, our in-house capability gives customers a more joined-up service, with fewer suppliers involved, fewer handovers and greater control over quality.

Since Sam’s last visit, we have also continued to improve the layout and flow of the site. This includes developing areas for smaller, more intricate assembly work, helping customers reduce complexity by allowing us to take on more of the tasks they would otherwise need to manage themselves.

That approach has always been important to us. Whether it is assembly, finishing, packaging or simplifying multiple order lines into one more complete supply arrangement, we want to make life easier for our customers.

Quality, Compliance and Innovation

Quality and compliance remain central to our progress. Earlier this year, GSM Valtech became JOSCAR registered, strengthening our ability to support customers in aerospace, defence and security supply chains. This sits alongside our ISO 9001 certification and reflects our ongoing commitment to trusted, compliant manufacturing partnerships.

We also spoke with Sam about some of the practical improvements we are making around energy efficiency and technology. This includes work to reduce wasted heat across the site, as well as trialling something new and exciting which is going through R&D at the moment; watch this space!

AI and automation were also part of the conversation. From compliance documentation to machining programmes and future shop floor efficiencies, we are exploring where technology can help us remove waste, support our people and improve the way we work.

Becoming Employee-Owned

The visit came at an important time for GSM Group, following our transition to an Employee Ownership Trust earlier this year. This secures the legacy of our founders, Frances Dodd and her late husband Barry Dodd CBE, while giving our people a meaningful stake in the future of the business.

That made our recent attendance at Made in Yorkshire’s Loadhog factory tour particularly relevant, as Loadhog is another employee-owned manufacturer. It was a valuable opportunity to see how employee ownership can support pride, accountability and long-term thinking across a manufacturing business.

We would like to thank Sam and Made in Yorkshire for visiting GSM Valtech and continuing to champion the region’s manufacturing community.

Our focus remains on investing in our people, processes and capabilities while supporting customers with high-quality, compliant and joined-up manufacturing solutions from our home in West Yorkshire.

GSM were delighted to visit Map Charity in Leeds last week to present them with a donation of two iMacs and a cheque for £1200.

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 30/07/2019

Map Charity are a pioneering alternative provider in creative education, offering qualifications and first-hand experience to young people at risk of exclusion from the mainstream school system. They inspire their students to reach their potential through a unique model which is transforming how education and businesses interact, ensuring sustainable development opportunities.

They are forging an innovative blueprint for what creative education and charities can become.

For more information or to donate to this amazing cause please check out their website www.mapcharity.org

Upon receiving the donation they gratefully responded:

“A big MAP Charity thank you to the GSM Group who kindly bought us some spanking-new iMac computers for our multimedia classroom.

These generous gifts will be vital in aiding us to teach our students music, film editing and multimedia. They will also provide key experience in using state-of-the-art equipment and industry-standard software.”

GSM are looking forward to working with MAP in the future in various ways including offering apprenticeships to students, future financial donations and fundraising events.

#TogetherWeHaveHope

🚨 Big News at GSM! 🚨

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 09/01/2025

We added a brand-new HAAS VF4SS high-performance Super-Speed vertical machining center to our ever increasing range of state of the art machine tools. Strengthening our commitment to serious investment and expansion to support our existing clients and open doors to markets that have not been available to us until now. This game-changing equipment boosts machining capacity and enhances our ability to deliver precision parts with faster turnaround times.

What does this mean for you? More flexibility, better efficiency, and competitive quotes on even the most complex projects. Whether you're scaling up production or in need of tight tolerances, GSM is here to help you stay ahead of the competition.

With the HAAS VF4SS, we’re not just increasing capacity—we’re investing in quality, speed, and the future of manufacturing. Let’s work together to bring your next project to life!

Get in touch today and see how we can meet your exact specifications! #ManufacturingExcellence #MachiningPower #CompetitiveEdge #GSM #HAAS #PrecisionEngineering

One Minutes Silence in Remembrance of GSM Founder Barry Dodd

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 30/05/2019

This morning at 8am all GSM sites held a one minute silence in remembrance of our founder, Chairman and Owner Barry Dodd CBE who tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash 1 year ago today.

As well as his amazing entrepreneurial achievements, Barry was also appointed as Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire in 2014.

Greatly missed by all.

GSM join Made in Yorkshire

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 17/04/2019

GSM are delighted to announce that we have joined the leading Yorkshire manufacturing and engineering membership group madeinyorkshire . We are proud to now be part of the growing MIYFAMILY, and relish our opportunity to benefit from the buzz surrounding this network whilst also contributing to benefit others.

GSM Valtech will be outlining more about its services when it exhibits at this year's MIY exhibition, which takes place at the Centenary Pavilion in Leeds on May 23. To join them or to register for tickets for the event click on the banner below; and don't forget to visit our new website - www.madeinyorkshireexpo.co.uk

GSM Valtech are now JOSCAR Registered!

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 19/02/2026

GSM Valtech are now JOSCAR Registered

We’re proud to announce that GSM Valtech has achieved JOSCAR accreditation, further strengthening our commitment to quality, compliance and trusted supply chain partnerships.

Managed by Hellios, the JOSCAR accreditation system is widely recognised across the aerospace, defence and security sectors, providing customers with confidence that approved suppliers meet rigorous operational and compliance standards.

Combined with our ISO 9001 Quality Management certification, this milestone reinforces GSM Valtech’s capability to support customers operating in regulated and performance-critical industries.

✅ Reduced supplier onboarding time
✅ Verified compliance and quality assurance
✅ A trusted UK manufacturing partner for complex projects

As we continue to invest in quality, processes and capability, this accreditation marks another step forward in supporting customers who require reliability, traceability and high-quality manufacturing solutions.
If you’re looking for a compliant, quality-driven manufacturing partner — we’d love to talk.

Manufacturing Engineering SupplyChain Aerospace Defence ISO9001 JOSCAR UKManufacturing MadeInYorkshire

We are back!

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 09/01/2025

We are excited to share that GSM has rejoined Made in Yorkshire, the leading membership group for the region’s manufacturing and engineering industry! As part of the thriving #MIYFAMILY once again, we are eager to dive into the vibrant energy and collaborative spirit that this dynamic network offers. Reconnecting with this influential community provides us with invaluable opportunities for growth, knowledge-sharing, and innovation. We’re thrilled to be back, ready to contribute our expertise, connect with fellow industry leaders, and help drive the success of Yorkshire’s manufacturing future!

GSM invest in machining centre

GSM Valtech Industries Ltd — 08/11/2019

Exciting News! We are now proud owners of a Haas Automation, Inc. VF 2SS Super-Speed vertical machining centre that features: cutting speeds of up to 12,000-rpm; inline direct-drive spindle; an ultra-fast side-mount tool changer; and high-speed rapids on all axes. This investment has given us further machining capabilities and broadens our range of services. If you have a project that requires machined parts, please do get in touch and we will be delighted to provide you with a competitive quote. www.gsmvaltech.co.uk