KRG Specialist Engineering celebrating "proud milestone" with the arrival of Ashton Hughes, grandson of company founder James Hughes and son of managing director Gerry Hughes.
12:50, 14 Jan 2026
KRG Specialist Engineering is celebrating a "proud milestone" as Ashton Hughes, grandson of company founder James Hughes and son of managing director Gerry Hughes, becomes the third generation of his family to join the Coatbridge business as an apprentice.
Founded in 1978, KRG has grown from a small family-run workshop into one of Lanarkshire’s leading precision engineering companies, supplying high-tolerance components to sectors including defence, oil and gas and manufacturing.
The company, which now employs a highly skilled team in Coatbridge, continues to be shaped by its family values of craftsmanship, reliability, and investment in people.
Ashton’s appointment marks the continuation of that legacy and underlines the company’s long-term commitment to the local community.
Like many before him, he is beginning his career by learning hands-on in the workshop, building his skills from the ground up.
Gerry Hughes, managing director of KRG, said: "This is a very proud moment for me personally, and for everyone at KRG.
READ MORE: NHS Lanarkshire appoints new director of research, innovation and academic partnerships"I started out as an apprentice here, just as Ashton is doing now, and I know the value of learning the business from the ground up.
"My father started this company more than 45 years ago, and to see Ashton now step into the business shows the strength of that legacy.
"Our roots in Coatbridge have always been our foundation, and having a third generation involved makes that foundation even stronger for the future."
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