Guy Janney Reflects on 20 Years at the Helm as ADAPT Turns 40

This year, ADAPT ems is celebrating 40 years in contract electronics manufacturing and 20 years of leadership from Managing Director Guy Janney. Together, these milestones reflect continuity, experience and our ongoing commitment to supporting customers.

Founded in 1985 as Weedon Electronics, ADAPT has grown steadily over the years, expanding through strategic acquisitions and earning a reputation for engineering-led excellence and high-quality manufacturing.

Since becoming Managing Director in 2006, Guy has guided the company through two decades of growth, strengthening customer partnerships and building a culture that is agile, practical and client-focused.

In this Q&A, Guy reflects on how ADAPT has evolved, the decisions that have shaped the business and what its 40-year journey means for customers.

What attracted you to ADAPT when you joined in 2006?

Reshoring isn’t just about location, it’s about control, reliability and flexibility. UK-based production makes it easier to:

Maintain quality
Simplify supply chains
Respond quickly to changing market needs

Local manufacturing also supports sustainability, local jobs and long-term investment, making it a strategic choice for businesses of all sizes.

How has ADAPT evolved in the two decades since you joined?

ADAPT is very different today from when I joined. We’ve invested heavily in advanced technologies including SMT pick-and-place, 3D solder paste inspection and 3D automated optical inspection machines, increasing both capacity and capability.

What hasn’t changed is our focus on customers. Our developments are driven by that commitment, reflected in our strapline, ‘your products, our passion’.

How does ADAPT’s 40 years in business benefit customers?

Stability matters. Smaller CEMs can fail or be acquired, creating disruption and uncertainty for their clients. Our 40-year track record gives customers confidence that we’re here for the long term, backed by decades of experience and consistent leadership.

Has there been a defining moment in ADAPT’s direction and growth?

Bringing Nick Fairhead on board as Sales and Marketing Director was pivotal. He has extensive experience across both independent and global CEMs and describes himself as an ‘engineer in disguise’, which fits well with our engineering ethos.

After Nick joined, we refocused on our core strategic customers and changed how we worked with them, becoming more collaborative so clients see us as part of their team. Over time, I’ve strengthened the Senior Management Team further, appointing Mark Greenwood as Head of Engineering, Louise Pridding as Head of Sales and Alice Winton as Head of Finance.

What do customers value most about working with ADAPT?

It consistently comes down to three things: our people, the quality of our work and how we partner with customers.

Our latest customer survey highlights this, with all respondents saying they would recommend ADAPT and rating us Very Good or Excellent across every area.

What does being engineering-led mean in practice?

Manufacturing always has challenges. Being engineering-led means we don’t wait for customers to solve problems themselves. We apply our expertise, think creatively and deliver solutions that go beyond what’s expected, which strengthens working relationships.

How does private ownership help ADAPT stay responsive?

As owner-manager, I can take a longer-term view, balancing the needs of all stakeholders and making decisions that directly support our customers, without pressure from corporate shareholders. Owning both our buildings also gives us flexibility to adapt space quickly. We’ve literally taken walls down over a weekend to support customer requirements!

Operating from two sites is a key part of your model. How does this benefit customers?

Our sites in Hitchin and St Neots operate with the same systems, similar equipment and fully integrated processes, so we can move production quickly and smoothly if needed.

This is a real advantage for our customers, avoiding many of the concerns associated with traditional dual sourcing, such as reduced volumes, added complexity, traceability issues and IP risk.

How does your focus on quality and compliance affect how you deliver for customers?

We take our responsibilities seriously, always aiming to deliver on time and to the highest standard. We move quickly, but never at the expense of quality. Delivering early without meeting standards is just as damaging as delivering late. We have a robust quality management system including ISO9001 and ISO13485 certifications and our investments in 3D SPI and 3D AOI allow us to monitor quality in real time and continuously improve, giving customers confidence in every product we deliver.

What are you most proud of and what’s next?

I’m proud that we’ve stayed independent and stable, building a highly skilled team and investing in equipment that lets us take on technically challenging products. It also means a lot that many people who joined in 1985 are still with the company, and that we’ve maintained long-term customer partnerships, supporting their growth and success.

Looking ahead, our focus is on sustainability and working with customers to ensure growth is environmentally responsible. That will continue to shape how we operate in the years ahead.