Manufacturer aims to smash £20m turnover target
A WEST Midlands manufacturer is aiming to smash a £20m turnover target during 2015 as it looks to capitalise on sustained growth.
PP Electrical Systems, which provides control and automation solutions to a global client base, is looking to boost sales by £3m over the next 12 months after picking up new orders in food packaging, security and machine tool build.
Managing Director Tony Hague said the growth had the potential to create 20 new jobs at the firm’s 40,000 sq ft factory in Cheslyn Hay. Some of the new recruits will be apprentices and graduates.
The company is also looking to tap into a number of high-profile opportunities from within the Midlands Assembly Network (MAN), including alternative energy sources and a breakthrough in audio visual technology.
PP Electrical Systems is one of the constituent members of the assembly coalition, which together employs over 700 people and turns over in excess of £70m. MAN comprises: Advanced Chemical Etching, Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, Mec Com, Muller Holdings and SMT Developments.
Hague himself is chairman of the collective.
He said: “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 was also bullish about PP’s prospects.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
PP Electrical Systems is a global leader in electrical control systems, cable harnesses and sub contract manufacturing solutions.
It employs 180 people at its facility in Staffordshire and 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.
“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,” added Hague.
“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.”
