Investment in new facility opens up £2m of new opportunities for PP Control & Automation

A provider of strategic manufacturing outsourcing services has invested over £100,000 into creating a new electrostatic discharge manufacturing facility.

PP Control & Automation, which works with 25 of the world’s largest machinery builders, is now targeting up to £2m of new opportunities where this dedicated and controlled environment will help it take on more complex and delicate builds encompassing high-end PCB assemblies and box builds.

“It is a decision that is already paying off,” said Garry Myatt, sales director at PP Control & Automation.

“A number of our existing clients were asking us for this additional capability, so we decided that the time was right to make the investment and bring this service into our offering.

“This meant developing an environment that met the needs of our customers and legal compliance to the recognised standards and involved special flooring, benches and test equipment – all grounded to earth to ensure that life of the electronics is protected from potential electrostatic discharge.

“Five people are now employed in this area and all have undergone specific training to ensure compliance. We estimate that there is £2m of new opportunities in the pipeline and, if these come to fruition, this manufacturing cell will increase in capacity and we’ll need to recruit more staff.”

He added: “We’ve got a lot of exciting diversification plans, some of which focus on making the most of the ESD manufacturing facility with both existing and new clients.

“With 2019 being a record year, securing over £3m of new orders from the healthcare, food and drink and packaging sectors, we anticipate further growth in 2020 from this new manufacturing service.

“A spin-out from Aston University is already tapping into this area where we are offering a full turnkey service, from material sourcing through to testing. Volumes are increasing monthly and the expectation is there that this will be a service that PP will take globally on behalf of the client.”

Backed by Canadian investment company Ardenton Capital, PP Control & Automation is exploring the possibility of a joint venture or an acquisition in North America.