Manufacturer set to create 30 jobs as its looks to smash £20m turnover mark

A WEST Midlands manufacturer is on target to create 30 new jobs as it looks to exceed its turnover target, buoyed by new orders.

South Staffordshire-based PP Control & Automation (PP), which already employs around 200 people, is looking to smash the £20m turnover barrier.

The Cheslyn Hay company is benefiting from new contracts across the various sectors it supplies, including food, packaging and scientific equipment.

It said it was benefiting from a surge of interest among machinery builders looking to outsource non-core competences in a bid to reduce lead times and optimise quality.

There has also been a greater drive to free up capacity and develop manufacturing processes that offer the end user a greater choice of configuration.

Tony Hague, managing director, PP, said: “Over £2m of incremental orders have already been placed in the first six months of the year and this growth – anticipated to reach 20% in 2016 – will necessitate 30 new jobs.

“We made the decision a few years back to take a collaborative approach with the world’s leading machinery builders, focusing on trying to get involved earlier in the process.

“This looked at areas where we can apply our controls and automation expertise to the early build stage and then bring our capabilities in value engineering and design for manufacture to the fore.”

The firm has also been boosted by the appointment of John Armstrong as its new sales director.

Mr Armstrong will be responsible for executing and developing the company’s sales and marketing strategy with view to increasing orders in the UK and driving diversification into new markets.

This will be achieved by utilising a strong contacts network and his knowledge of the OEM market, compiled during 25 years working in senior positions for GEC Alstom and Rockwell Automation.

“PP is at a really exciting stage of its development and I have the perfect opportunity to use my skills and knowledge to move the company to the next level,” he said.

“We’re not looking for a scattergun approach to sales, quite the opposite. The firm has a fantastic reputation working with world leaders in their specific sectors and the focus will be on moving our expertise into markets we don’t currently have a footprint in.

“The initial challenge is to hit £20m this year, followed by an aggressive five-year growth plan that could see £40m sales by 2021.”

However, he said this level of expansion could only be achieved by growing the firm’s international markets – a plan boosted by approval to build control systems for the North American market.

The company is seeing real traction in Germany, where its Stuttgart office is making some very good contacts – a situation it hopes will continue despite the vote to leave the EU.

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