Sugoi Consulting, a technical and commercial consultancy serving the global metal packaging industry, has appointed Dave Turner as Technical Adviser. This follows the recent appointment of Technical Manager John Robson.

Turner joins with 35 years of technical experience in the metal packaging industry, and will support Sugoi, working alongside Robson on legacy equipment, bespoke development work and technical purchasing.

Decades of institutional knowledge

Turner’s appointment reunites a partnership that dates back many years. Turner hired both Managing Director Alan Rutter and Robson for roles at Crabtree, a metal-decorating equipment manufacturer. He and Rutter then travelled the world together, visiting customers, with one on the technical side and the other on the sales side.

“I employed both of them, so I’ve known Alan and John for a long time,” says Turner. “Alan and I travelled the world together, and we always got on well — even when we didn’t agree, there was mutual respect.

“Sugoi is an exciting place to be right now, and I’m looking forward to assisting with some significant new projects.”

“Dave and I have had some blazing arguments over the years,” adds Rutter. “I was the sales guy, he was the technical guy — but we always met in the middle, and ten minutes later one of us would be putting the kettle on.

“Dave brings a wealth of experience, a black book of contacts built over three decades, and part numbers for proprietary machines dating back to the 1970s, all still in his head. That knowledge doesn’t exist in any manual or database.”

Quality over quantity

With Rutter, Robson and Turner in place, Sugoi’s leadership team now has over 90 years of combined experience across mechanical engineering, machine assembly, component machining, design and technical management.

“This isn’t about quantity; it’s about quality,” Rutter explains. “It’s about surrounding yourself with knowledgeable people. There are plenty of one-man bands out there who can sell a component, but they wouldn’t have a clue how to design or inspect it. Between the three of us, there’s very little we haven’t got covered.”

The appointment also reflects a wider concern about expertise leaving the sector. Sugoi’s model is built on retaining that expertise — rather than allowing decades of technical understanding to disappear from the industry.

Technical purchasing and supply chain strategy

Alongside his advisory role, Turner is responsible for technical purchasing. His long-standing relationships with Sugoi’s suppliers make him well suited to the company’s strategic, multi-supplier approach.

“We don’t have one supplier,” says Rutter. “We’re not just going for the cheapest — we’re going for the one that ticks the box for that project. Dave helps us profile each job, including where we can source it, how long it takes, and the quality we can expect. It’s specific every time.”

Building for the long term

The appointment comes as Sugoi faces growing demand for bespoke work, including recent client approaches for entirely new solutions and applications beyond the company’s traditional remit. Its small, unbureaucratic structure allows the team to move quickly — standardising processes as they go and turning around work in hours that would previously have taken days.

“We want to build something sustainable for the long haul,” concludes Rutter. “That means adding knowledge, adding quality, and surrounding ourselves with the best people.”

Priorities ahead

It’s a significant time for Sugoi, with focus areas including:

●  Bespoke Capability: Continued growth in bespoke and legacy equipment solutions, underpinned by in-house design.

●  Technical Purchasing: A strategic, multi-source supply chain profiled job by job for cost, lead time and quality.

●  Team Expansion: Further specialist appointments to support project delivery and improve client response times.

●  Global Development: Ongoing development work with international partners across China, Turkey and wider markets.