One of the West Midlands’ fastest growing manufacturers, PP Electrical is targeting the £20m turnover barrier in 2015 it was revealed today.
Providing control and automation solutions to a global client base, the company is looking to boost sales by £3m over the next twelve months after picking up a number of new orders in food packaging, security and machine tool build.
Managing director Tony Hague believes this has the potential to create 20 new jobs at the firm’s 40,000 sqft facilitiy in Cheslyn Hay, some of which will be apprentices and graduates.
There are also a number of high-profile opportunities it is looking to pursue with the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), including alternative energy sources and a breakthrough in audio visual technology.
Hague, who was recently named as one of The Manufacturer’s Top 100 role models, explained: “We are definitely seeing OEMs and machine builders reviewing their processes and how they can reduce lead times and increase their capacity.
“This is definitely creating a real opportunity for PP Electrical and we are actively targeting customers who may want to outsource non-core activities. We have the automation, the skills and the processes in place to take on full or part machine build relatively quickly, ensuring the customer benefits from seamless production flow. ”
He continued: “We were just over £17m of sales in 2014 and, with the way the pipeline looks, I can see us breaking the £20m barrier this year.”
“It’s still going to be a challenging economic environment however. There is a lot of instability in Europe, the strength of the pound could damage export and the looming general election is never good news for business.”
Employing 180 people, PP Electrical Systems has invested more than £1m in new machinery, automatic crimp force monitoring and cable preparation technology.
This commitment to automation – combined with UL 508A accreditation – has seen it become a trusted manufacturing partner for 13 of the world’s largest machinery manufacturers in sectors such as automotive, food and drink, medical and telecommunications.
Hague concluded: “Not many people know this, but we’re often the first part of the journey for critical Formula 1 racing parts, the packaging your food arrives in, even new mobile phone coatings to protect it from water damage.
“Our focus is on repeatable world class connectivity and finding ways where we can increase the ‘up time’ of machines. There is a clear benefit to the customer here and they can immediately see that we are adding real value.”