Automation firm places £1m bet on doubling sales

Posted on 5 Apr 2017 by Jonny Williamson

One of the country’s fastest growing manufacturers, PP Control & Automation, has unveiled a new £1m factory in a bid to drive sales from £20m to £40m by 2021.

L to R: Tony Hague and David Fox (both PP Control & Automation).
L to R: Tony Hague and David Fox (both PP Control & Automation).

PP Control & Automation, which works with many of the world’s most successful machinery builders, has added a further 1,000 sqm of production space to its existing 4,500 sqm facility in the West Midlands to facilitate growth in new technology markets and interest from a wider international customer base.

With construction completed on time, work is now underway to kit out the dedicated logistics and material department with conveyor systems and advanced barcode scanning to ensure goods are moved around the shopfloor quickly and efficiently.

Also planned is a new ‘clean assembly’ area that will cater for an increasing need to assemble static sensitive electronics, as well as intricate mechanical parts that have more specialist assembly requirements.

Managing director, Tony Hague explained: “We have very ambitious growth plans to double turnover and this will only be possible by ensuring we have a facility in the UK that can provide us with the space needed to meet our current and future customer requirements.

“The £1m investment, in the immediate light of the Brexit vote, shows our commitment to creating a world class operation and we will showcase our new capabilities to clients in the food processing & packaging, machine tool, medical, printing, semiconductor and scientific machinery sectors.

“We are confident that our four-year plan to reach £40m will be achieved and we don’t envisage Article 50 or Brexit having too much of an influence on what we do.”

Over the past six months, the firm has been steadily recruiting new members of staff across the business - image courtesy of PP Control & Automation.
Over the past six months, the firm has been steadily recruiting new members of staff across the business – image courtesy of PP Control & Automation.

PP Control & Automation, which is a member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), has become one of the world’s largest and most respected suppliers of electrical control systems, cable harnesses and sub-contract manufacturing solutions.

The company has benefitted significantly from the ‘outsourcing’ trend being employed by machinery builders keen to reduce production lead times, secure greater manufacturing flexibility and ultimately reduce overall manufacturing costs and increase profitability.

Chairman of PP Control & Automation, David Fox added: “It’s not just investment in bricks and mortar either. Over the last six months, we have been steadily recruiting new members of staff across the business – in production, engineering, sales and supply chain management.

“Our people, their skills and the culture they adhere to is vital to the way we do business and this is something that will be absolutely essential if we are to deliver the ambitious growth plans we set ourselves.”

PP Control & Automation will hold a special event to mark the official opening of the extension later his year, as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.