Formula 1 supplier targets growth after merger with Birmingham specialist

A BIRMINGHAM manufacturer supplying to Formula 1 and other specialised industries has undergone a merger.

Innovate 2 Make (i2M) hopes its merger with Newbury-based Progressive Technology will see it become a UK leader in the fields of precision machining and metal 3D printing.

The newly-merged business, called Progressive Technology – Advanced Manufacturing, is targeting firms that require complex components typically used in high performance environments.

In addition to motorsport, it is offering a low-to-medium volume service to companies in the aerospace and medical sectors.

The firm is targeting more than £2m of additional sales in its first 12 months, with the possibility of 10 new jobs being created.

“The merger is a natural progression of a working relationship that has been in place for a couple of years now,” said Ross Pinchin, new managing director of Progressive Technology.

“We have a number of shared customers who use us to manufacture parts for F1, with i2M providing the metal 3D printing expertise and our multi-axis machining capability delivering the secondary operation.

“By bringing the two firms together we’ve created – what we believe – is the largest single source full service machining and metal 3D printing solution in the UK. It’s a bold move, but one that is already creating significant demand from customers who want easier access to this new technology, as well as the ability to reduce logistics costs, minimise supply chain disruption and shorter lead times for parts.”

Led by Mike Kelly and Ian Campbell, i2M was launched in 2012 and has transformed an industrial unit in Kings Norton into a metal 3D printing centre, supplying prototype and low volume production capacity for aerospace, automotive, defence, F1 and medical sectors.

Mr Kelly said: “We can now offer the end-user a complete service, from using metal 3D printing in the initial production of the component to tapping into Progressive Technology’s fantastic capabilities in Newbury.”