From Tea Maker to Service Director: James’s Journey at Rapid
Not everyone is meant for the classroom – some people are born to build.
James never had a five-year plan. In fact, he wasn’t even sure what he wanted to do after school. He didn’t thrive in lectures, but he always loved figuring things out – bikes, Meccano, anything he could take apart and rebuild. While the classroom never quite suited him, the workshop felt like home. Hand him a tool and a problem to solve, and he was unstoppable.
Despite his Dad, Rob Edwards, being co-owner of Rapid Welding, James’s journey into the company wasn’t predestined or even planned – it was earned, day by day, in the workshop, out on customer sites, and eventually, into the boardroom.
From sweeping floors to directing one of the most technical departments in the business – James’s story isn’t one of shortcuts or overnight success, but of relentless drive and quiet determination.
Finding Your Fit
James once dreamed of becoming a policeman. By the time he reached secondary school, the plan was less clear – maybe something to do with cars.
What he was sure about, was that he loved taking things apart and figuring out how they worked. Anything mechanical grabbed his interest. His childhood was filled with old welding machines left lying around by his dad. He even had a plastic toy welder that fired glue instead of real sparks.
But despite all that hands-on curiosity, James didn’t have his own clear direction.
He went on to study maths, physics, and electronics at college – tough subjects by anyone’s standards, but he found the academic environment didn’t suit him. Sitting in a classroom being talked at never brought out the best in James. He had the capability, no doubt, but he lacked direction and felt like he was floating around, waiting to find something that clicked.
The ‘Click’ that Came
James started helping out at Rapid Welding, an industrial supply business his dad founded alongside James’s uncle, Roy. At first, it was just something to do between classes at college, making tea, sweeping up, doing the odd job here and there.
But that summer, everything changed.
Rapid was expanding fast, and James got stuck in helping build the new offices at Rapid’s Porchester site. Brick by brick, wall by wall, he discovered how he worked best – not in textbooks or lectures, but through the satisfaction of creating something tangible.
Where the classroom felt distant and abstract, this work had purpose. Every screw tightened and every panel fixed gave him a stronger sense of purpose and belonging.
It wasn’t theory that inspired James – it was action.
Once college was finished, James joined Rapid full-time as a Trainee Service Engineer, and that’s when things really started to take shape. He knew he loved the hands-on work, the challenge of solving real problems in real time, but he also found he enjoyed being part of a team.
James says he learned far more from watching his dad work than from being in education, and later, through teaching himself. What he’d lacked in classroom focus, he made up for in the real world with sheer determination: “I will not give up. I will keep going until I learn this.”
Slick Operations
By 2007, with his dad taking on more responsibilities elsewhere in the business, James stepped up as Service Engineer. At the time, the service department was barely a department at all – more organised chaos than the structured, slick operation it is today.
But, as Rapid grew, so did the need for a solid service arm to the company.
People started joining the team – trainees, admin support, a dedicated Service Manager. When the Service Manager subsequently left, James found himself filling those shoes, taking on the responsibility of managing people as well as his role of servicing, validating and repairing machinery.
This was a big shift, and in all honesty, a bit of a shock. Fortunately, James had been sent on a management course, and while not thrilled to be back in the classroom, he credits that training with giving him the confidence and skills to lead a team effectively.
As Rapid outgrew its space in Porchester, the business moved to a new site in Hedge End during 2017.
The service team suddenly had the space they needed. The environment became more organised, efficient, and capable of scaling up. James worked alongside Karen, who switched to servicing from Rapid’s gas department, and together they brought clarity and direction to what had previously been a department running more on instinct than process.
This was the real turning point.
With room to grow, James began expanding the department’s capabilities. They worked with everything from cutting-edge technology to obscure, older machines. He trained and qualified in LEV testing (Local Exhaust Ventilation) after new regulations came in, adding a vital string to the business’s bow.
Even now, James sometimes travels internationally for training and supplier engagement, and despite never enjoying classrooms or formal training in his younger years, he now recognises the value of continuous learning – an opportunity he sees as essential to staying ahead in an ever-evolving industry.
“Over the years, James and I have worked together. I’ve seen him transform from a young, shy engineer into the confident (not-so-young) Service Director we know today. In fact, the well-oiled machine that our Service Department is today is testimony in itself to the hard work he has put in over the years. Although I am sure if you asked him, he would say it has always been a team effort.
Karen, Service Administrator & Vehicles
He is a font of knowledge when it comes to welding machines, and he never fails to amaze me with what he is able to bring back to life or resolve for our customers.”
A Directorship
In 2022, James was made a Director at Rapid. The conversation was casual – just a phone call from his dad. Dad: “This is what we’re thinking.” James: “Yes, thank you.”
That was it.
But, for James, it was never about the title. What mattered most was that the service department now had a voice at the top table. From disorganised beginnings, it had grown into a vital part of Rapid’s operations. Decisions were no longer made around the servicing team; they were made with it.
Today, the service department is thriving.
Machines are becoming more technical, but, as James acknowledges, there are fewer people entering the trade. That’s a challenge for the industry, but it’s an opportunity for Rapid.
Machines are sent in from the Channel Islands, Shetland Isles, Europe, even the US, to be serviced by the team. Some customers may buy their machines elsewhere, but they trust Rapid for all their repair and servicing needs.
James’s journey is proof that you don’t always need a rigid plan. Sometimes, it’s about grabbing the opportunities that come your way, discovering where you truly belong, and learning everything you can.
His rise from tea maker to Director wasn’t overnight, and it certainly wasn’t guaranteed. It was a slow, steady build, layer by layer, with quiet determination and a willingness to start at the bottom.
He may not like classrooms, and he’s terrified of spiders (James’s team once pranked him and he ended up locking himself in the toilet for half an hour). But when it comes to building something lasting – from machines to departments and anything in-between, James is all in.
And that’s what makes all the difference.
