Ransomes Jacobsen, the Ipswich-based manufacturer of commercial mowing equipment, is providing mentors from its 300 employees to help Year 10 students from Debenham High School in their latest Young Enterprise Business Scheme initiative.

The Debenham High School Young Enterprise team at Ransomes Jacobsen.

The initial meeting took place recently when the students, accompanied by teachers Jane Wilson and Dr Chris Sharpe, visited the company’s European manufacturing headquarters at Ransomes Europark for a tour the facilities and to be introduced to their mentors.

The students have registered a limited company and sold shares in the business raising over £400 to provide the capital for their business venture. The have designed and manufactured a product – Memo It, a multi-purpose acrylic memo pad that can be used around the home for writing notes, reminders, to-do lists, shopping lists, revision notes and much more. It can also be attached to a computer screen and used as a note holder.

Ransomes Jacobsen’s Managing Director Alan Prickett hosted the visit and following introductions by the students and their teachers, provided a brief overview of the company’s business and where he thought Ransomes Jacobsen could assist the Debenham team. He then handed over to Simon Rainger, Operations Director who took them on a tour of the factory explaining the multitude of processes that are involved in the manufacturing of commercial mowing equipment.

Following the tour, the group assembled on the company’s three-hole golf course for a presentation by James Gotts, the greenkeeper responsible for the green oasis in the middle of Ransomes Europark, who spoke about the numerous machines required for golf course maintenance and gave a demonstration on how to mow a golf green.

Back in the boardroom it was time to meet the group of mentors who would be helping and advising the students in the various areas of their business venture. Ransomes staff from Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, Marketing and Sales introduced themselves, outlined their areas of expertise and how they could assist the students.

At the close of the visit Jane Wilson said: “We are very grateful to Alan Prickett and his team for his company’s support of this year’s students. The visit to Ransomes Jacobsen has given them a fantastic opportunity to relate what they are learning through the Young Enterprise scheme to the actual operation of a large, local company and an insight into how manufacturing and customer service work together to make a successful business.”