For National Manufacturing Day 2026, we are putting the spotlight on three members of our team with different roles, backgrounds and routes into manufacturing. Meet Cheryl Hegarty, Daz Ainslie and Rajinda Rajapura, and find out more about their roles, experiences and what they enjoy about working in manufacturing.
KnitMesh Technologies has been a specialist knitted wire mesh manufacturer since 1957. From our manufacturing facilities in Greenfield, North Wales and near New Delhi, India, we support customers across defence, Counter-UAS, hydrogen, automotive, filtration, sealing, safety and other industrial applications.
While technology, R&D and continued investment are helping us develop new products and manufacturing capabilities, it is our people who make it all possible.
Cheryl Hegarty, General Administrator
Cheryl Hegarty has been with KnitMesh Technologies for four years and works as a General Administrator. An important part of her role is purchasing the materials and goods we need to manufacture our products, placing orders with suppliers and following them through to make sure our production teams have what they need.
Alongside her day-to-day work, Cheryl also enjoys helping to organise company events, including our Christmas parties. She particularly enjoys the planning involved and seeing everything come together.
Before joining the company, Cheryl served in the military, an experience that has continued to influence the way she approaches her work. She says professionalism is particularly important in her role, along with building good relationships with the people she works with.
For Cheryl, it is those people that she enjoys most about working here.
“The thing I enjoy most is that we are like a family. I would describe the team as adventurous, friendly and enthusiastic.”
Outside work, Cheryl volunteers with Rhyl Dolphins Swimming Club and Rhyl 1340 Air Cadets, and also enjoys playing netball.
Daz Ainslie, Production Team Leader
Daz Ainslie joined KnitMesh Technologies 18 months ago as a Production Team Leader after spending 28 years in the injection moulding industry. Ready for a new challenge, he stepped outside his comfort zone and into the world of knitted wire mesh manufacturing.
While the products, processes and equipment were different, Daz found that the skills he had built throughout his career, including problem-solving, teamwork, quality and safety, were just as relevant. As he puts it, even after 28 years in one industry, you can still “teach an old dog new tricks!”
No two days are the same. Daz oversees several production areas, supports his team and works closely with Engineering, Warehouse and Distribution, Joinery, Site Services and our Large Knitting production area, home to the world’s largest wire knitting machine.
Daz is particularly proud of the improvements the team has made together. Since joining the business, he has helped make production areas safer, more organised and more efficient, while also supporting the new warehouse operation.
For anyone considering a career in manufacturing, Daz says:
“Give manufacturing a go. You might just surprise yourself! Come in with a good attitude, a willingness to learn, and do not be afraid to ask questions. Manufacturing is about teamwork, problem-solving, learning new skills and finding smarter ways of doing things.”
Outside work, Daz is a keen carp angler and enjoys mountain biking, hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding in the Welsh mountains. He is also a lifelong Everton supporter, or, in his words, “born a Blue, not manufactured.”
And his three words to describe the team?
“Skilled. Supportive. Slightly mad.”
Rajinda Rajapura, Maintenance Engineer
Rajinda Rajapura has been with KnitMesh Technologies for two years and works as a Maintenance Engineer. His role involves planned and reactive maintenance, troubleshooting machine faults and making modifications to equipment, all of which help keep production running and minimise downtime.
It is the problem-solving side of the job that Rajinda particularly enjoys. He likes working with machinery, finding the cause of faults and looking for ways to improve machine performance and reliability.
Rajinda is particularly proud of the machine modifications and troubleshooting work he has carried out, helping to reduce downtime and improve production efficiency. He also enjoys taking on new technical challenges and contributing ideas to improve machine reliability and safety.
When asked what might surprise people about a career in manufacturing, Rajinda highlighted just how much technology, engineering, problem-solving and continuous improvement are involved.
His advice to anyone considering a career in the industry is:
“Be willing to learn, stay curious, understand how machines work, and always look for ways to improve.”
Outside work, Rajinda enjoys playing cricket, travelling and spending time with his family. He describes the team as:
“Supportive, skilled, dedicated.”
Celebrating National Manufacturing Day
National Manufacturing Day is a chance to recognise the people and skills behind UK manufacturing and the different career paths the industry has to offer.
At KnitMesh Technologies, we want to create a workplace where people from different backgrounds can build their careers, develop their skills and contribute to what we do.
That includes recognising the value of experience gained outside manufacturing. Earlier this year, we signed the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging to support serving personnel, veterans, reservists and military families, and to ensure the Armed Forces community is treated with fairness and respect.
Cheryl’s story is one example of the valuable experience people can bring from the Armed Forces, while Daz and Rajinda have followed very different career paths of their own.
Thank you to Cheryl, Daz and Rajinda for sharing their stories!