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April 2008: The Summer 2008 customer newsletter of Atkin Automation Limited
January 2008: Manufacturing overseas increases demand for British metal handling equipment
November 2007: Atkin Automation wins major contract from Finnish manufacturer
October 2007: The Winter 2007/08 customer newsletter of Atkin Automation Limited
August 2007 : Atkin Automation licenses transformer coil cutting for China and India
January 2007: The Winter 2006/07 customer newsletter of Atkin Automation Limited
December 2006: Atkin Automation identifies £6 million business opportunity at Euroblech
September 2006: Vantrunk selects Atkin Automation for new production line
August 2006: Eden Industries (UK) Limited creates record order success
May 2006: MACH 2006 Exhibition Report
March 2006: Atkin Automation ‘first’ with
Shung Dar at MACH 2006
January 2006: Atkin Automation success with
Shung Dar for Teco Building Products
August 2005: Atkin Automation goes to Europe with Shung Dar
May 2005: Q1/05 sales high at Atkin Automation
May 2005: Atkin Automation grows in Eastern Europe
March 2005: Continued success for Atkin Automation
March 2005: Atkin Automation wins major contract from Unitrunk
October 2004: Atkin Automation to develop new business in Czech
Republic & Slovakia
The Roll Informer
Click here to download the Summer 2008 customer newsletter of Atkin Automation Limited.
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Manufacturing overseas increases demand for British metal handling equipment
The continuing exodus of many manufacturers from the UK, as well as those from other countries with a manufacturing heritage, to the lower cost countries of Eastern Europe over the last few years has, without doubt, been a cause of great concern to many of those manufacturers’ suppliers.
As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of specialist, high performance coil handling and processing equipment to metal component manufacturers in industries such as the automotive, construction, office and shop equipment and power transmission sectors, Atkin Automation was initially one of those concerned suppliers.
“But we need not have worried” says Atkin Automation Managing Director Chris Ward. “Although a number of our traditional customers are continuing to establish new manufacturing plants in countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, this is in fact creating increased demand for our equipment”.
“Wherever possible we have encouraged these companies to adopt a policy of replicating the production lines, and associated processes and procedures, used in their current factories. Our ability to provide customers with a turnkey service, taking responsibility for the shipment, installation and commissioning of their new production lines, then enables us to ensure that they can quickly get into volume production in one or more different countries.”
He concluded, saying, “ There is no doubt that capital equipment standardisation ensures tremendous manufacturing flexibility for a multinational manufacturer.”
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance coil handling and processing products and equipment. It also holds European distribution rights to the Shung Dar range of Taiwanese coil handling and processing equipment, which sits comfortably alongside the company’s traditional products. In recent years the company has supplied purpose-built automated production lines for the manufacture of a wide range of metal components.
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Atkin Automation wins major contract from Finnish manufacturer
Atkin Automation Limited, has won an important production line refurbishment and upgrade contract at the Sheffield factory of a Finnish stainless steel manufacturer.
Over the next three months, the company’s existing BHP stainless steel cut to length line will be subject to a £200,000 refurbishment and rebuild process. All the control systems will be replaced and a new stacker will be added to provide the capability of multi-stacking different combinations of finished parts with widths of 200mm to 610mm and lengths ranging from 200mm to 300mm. The maximum stack weight will be 3000kgs.
The finished production line will be able to handle stainless steel of up to 3mm in thickness, processing coil widths from 19mm to 610mm to produce cut blanks at the rate of 60 per minute at a 250mm pitch.
Chris Ward, Managing Director of Atkin Automation, is delighted the company has been appointed as the sole contractor for this turn key project , which will involve the provision of full documentation and CE marking. He said:
“ The existing BHP line has been in use for over 25 years which is a wonderful testament to the quality of our equipment. The refurbished line will be installed and commissioned before the end of the year and I am sure it will provide many more years of reliable service. ”
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance coil handling and processing products and equipment. It also holds European distribution rights to the Shung Dar range of Taiwanese coil handling and processing equipment, which sits comfortably alongside the company’s traditional products.
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The Roll Informer
Click here to download the Winter 2007/08 customer newsletter of Atkin Automation Limited.
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Atkin Automation licenses transformer coil cutting for China and India
The success ofAtkin Automation’s exclusive European distribution agreement with the Taiwanese coil handling equipment manufacturer Shung Dar will now see Atkin Automation‘s own specialist coil cutting lines being marketed in China and India.
Atkin Automation has entered into a license agreement which will see Shung Dar manufacturing Atkin Automation transformer coil cutting lines in Taiwan for sale into the rapidly developing power generation markets in China and India.
Atkin Automation transformer core cutting lines have the capability to process 1,000 kg of steel strip which can be up to 250mm wide and 0.30mm thick. The CNC controlled line features a double side coil holder, a pinch roll with loop controls, a servo-rollfeed, hydraulic punch units, a V notch unit and twin shears. A transfer conveyor and a twin hammer-stop stacking system complete this sophisticated line .
Atkin Automation Managing Director Chris Ward is highly enthusiastic about this new agreement as he believes it will give Shung Dar the opportunity to showcase his company’s production line design capabilities in the exciting Chinese and Indian marketplaces. He said:
“We have developed a strong commercial relationship with Shung Dar over the last three years, and I believe its marketing campaigns in China and India will quickly generate a growing level of sales for our transformer core cutting lines. I view the future with great confidence.”
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance coil handling and processing products and equipment.
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The Roll Informer
Click here to download the Winter 2006/07 customer newsletter of Atkin Automation Limited.
[Please note: file is 438KB PDF]
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Atkin Automation identifies £6 million business
opportunity at Euroblech 2006
Atkin Automation Limited, which specialises in the manufacture and supply of high performance coil handling and processing equipment for metal strip, has returned from the Euroblech 2006 event in Hanover, Germany with over £6 million of quantified business opportunities.
Earlier in the year the company had exhibited at the MACH 2006 exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham, but Managing Director Chris Ward said there was very little comparison between the two events:
“ Our stand at both these important industry events was always busy, but the big difference was that at Euroblech many of the people visiting the stand had live projects with budget availability. The fact that most of the detailed equipment quotations we are now issuing as a result of our discussions in Hanover are destined for mainland Europe speaks volumes about the continuing decline of the UK as a mass manufacturing nation.”
With sales growth of over 40%, Atkin Automation has enjoyed considerable success during 2006, including winning two contracts for the development of automated production lines worth a total of over £1.3 million. Chris Ward is now looking for further international sales growth in 2007 saying:
“I anticipate 2007 will see a number of new contracts as a result of our presence at Euroblech and, having recently returned from Shanghai, I expect the company to deliver its first automated production line to China during the next twelve months.”
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Vantrunk selects Atkin Automation for new production line
Vantrunk, the largest all-round UK mainland manufacturer of cable management systems, has placed a major contract with Atkin Automation to develop a new automated ladder side production line for its Runcorn factory.
Chris Ward, Managing Director of Atkin Automation, is delighted the company has won this contract saying:
“ Vantrunk is the sister company of Northern Ireland based Unitrunk Limited, for whom we have designed, developed and installed two automated production lines in the last twelve months. I believe this further investment of £350,000 in Atkin Automation equipment reflects well on our values of design, product quality and customer service and support ”.
He continued:
“ Our expertise in handling steel strip and wire has enabled us to create a global niche market for our products and services. Although we have seen some of our traditional customer base move into Eastern Europe, our recent contract successes indicate there is still a strong metal products manufacturing industry here in the UK.”
The new production line, which will be installed and commissioned by [insert month], will be fed by a 3,000kg coil holder and will handle both mild and stainless steel in sizes of 300mm wide by 2.5mm thick, producing components which will range from 850mm to 6,000mm in length.
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance coil handling and processing products and equipment. It also holds European distribution rights to the Shung Dar range of Taiwanese coil handling and processing equipment, which sits comfortably alongside the company’s traditional products.
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Eden Industries (UK) Limited creates record order success for Atkin Automation
Atkin Automation is currently experiencing a record order book for any period in its history, having won contracts worth £1,328,000 in June 2006 alone. A major contributor to this achievement is Eden Industries (UK) Limited, whose business is going through a major investment programme in order to support their continued status of being the preferred choice for major retailers within the Uk and Europe. Eden has recently placed an order worth £932,000.
The new order is for an automated production line to manufacture back panels for use in supermarket shelving and it will be entirely UK designed and manufactured. It consists of Atkin press feed equipment incorporating a 10,000 kg decoiler feeding a run of three notching units; three Atkin BFP-80 hydraulic presses; a shear; two sets of side benders and an end bender; and an automatic pick and place system to remove surplus blanks from the line, which are replaced during coil changes to ensure almost 100% utilisation. The line also includes a facility to produce fully perforated panels.
The line has the capacity to produce ten complete panels a minute from mild steel, stainless or coated, with a thickness of between 0.5mm to 1.3mm and up to 600mm wide. The longest panel formed is 1350mm.
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Atkin Automation Managing Director
Chris Ward |
Atkin Automation Managing Director, Chris Ward, sees this order as an confirmation of the company’s growing reputation, saying:
“This latest order from Eden Industries represents a continuing development of the close association between Eden and Atkin Automation. As a company, we constantly strive to develop relationships with our customers based on the quality of our design, team-work, customer service and value for money.
Bearing in mind that this is a repeat order, I think we are succeeding.”
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance coil handling and processing products and equipment. It also holds European distribution rights to the Shung Dar range of Taiwanese coil handling and processing equipment, which sits comfortably alongside the company’s traditional products.
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MACH 2006 Exhibition Report
MACH 2006 was the first major UK exhibition where Atkin Automation exhibited the Shung Dar range of coil handling and processing equipment since gaining European distribution rights from the Taiwanese manufacturer late in 2004.
The company welcomed many visitors to its stand in the Metalworking Village in Hall 4 where they were able to see a working demonstration of the new Shung Dar 3-in-1 press feed system, alongside an Atkin Servo Roll Feed.
The new Shung Dar model combines three machines in one – coil holder, leveller and roll feed. It can be loaded with coils of up to 5,000 kilos and it will handle strip between 0.3mm and 4.5mm thick and up to 600mm in width. With a run rate of 18 metres per minute and a capability of achieving 92 feeds per minute (100mm pitch), this new machine was of particular interest to manufacturers where production floor space is at a premium.
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist high performance coil handling and processing products. Using its expertise in the control of steel strip, Atkin Automation has for some years also supplied purpose-designed and built automated production line equipment for a wide range of metal component manufacturers.
STOP PRESS
Since the exhibition during May 2006, the company has won new contracts worth over £1.3 million which is enabling it to create new jobs at its factory in Thetford, Norfolk.
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Atkin Automation ‘first’ with
Shung Dar at MACH 2006
MACH 2006 (NEC, Birmingham 15th-19th May 2006) is the first major UK exhibition
where Atkin Automation will exhibit the Shung Dar range of coil handling and
processing equipment since gaining European distribution rights from the Taiwanese
manufacturer late in 2004.
The company anticipates that manufacturers from a wide
range of industry sectors which process metal sheet and strip as part of a volume
production process
will visit its stand (4930) in the Metalworking Village in Hall 4. There they
will be able to see a working demonstration of the new Shung Dar 3-in-1 press
feed system, alongside an Atkin Servo Roll Feed and a CNC controlled lubrication
system.
The new Shung Dar model combines three machines in one – coil holder,
leveller and roll feed. It can be loaded with coils of up to 5,000 kilos and
it will handle strip between 0.3mm and 4.5mm thick and up to 600mm in width.
With a run rate of 18 metres per minute and a capability of achieving 92 feeds
per minute (100mm pitch), this new machine is expected to be of particular
interest to manufacturers where production floor space is at a premium.
Helped
by its involvement with Shung Dar, Atkin Automation has won several major new
equipment supply contracts during the first quarter of 2006, and
Managing Director Chris Ward commented:
“The company prides itself on being a modern, flexible supplier of
capital equipment which is designed to meet the needs of 21st century manufacturers.
The Shung Dar range sits comfortable alongside our traditional products and
enables us to meet demanding capital budgets and cost of ownership criteria”.
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years
around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist high performance
coil handling and processing products. Using its expertise in the control of
steel strip, Atkin Automation has for some years also supplied purpose-designed
and built automated production line equipment for a wide range of metal component
manufacturers.
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Atkin Automation success
with Shung Dar
for Teco Building Products
Atkin Automation’s exclusive European distribution
agreement with Taiwanese manufacturer Shung Dar is proving
highly successful, with a growing number of British manufacturers
enjoying the benefits of highly cost effective, yet extremely
flexible, solutions to a range of coil handling and processing
applications.
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| The first Shung Dar installation at Teco
Building Products. |
The contract from Ron Sammons Limited for a press
feed line at its Brighton based Teco Building Products plant
was one
of the first UK installations to feature the combination
of traditional Atkin Automation and Shung Dar equipment.
It has now been operational for nearly twelve months, and
the close involvement of the customer during the development
of the bespoke system operating software, an option which
has been facilitated by the use of the Atkin servo roll feed,
has resulted in a highly successful implementation.
The 3,000
kg capacity press feed line features a Shung Dar LV4/800 coil
holder coupled to an Atkin/BHP RF100/800 servo
roll feed which handles steel strip up to 800mm wide and
3.2mm thick. This combination of equipment was supplied and
installed within the budget of £45,000, with installation
costs being greatly reduced through the use of a ‘2
in 1’ coil holder and leveller which provides for easy
positioning and fixing.
Atkin Automation Managing Director
Chris Ward is very enthusiastic about the company’s
recent Shung Dar installations, commenting:
“Teco Building Products was among our first UK Shung Dar users. This press
feed line is a classic example of the way in which we can integrate Shung Dar
products with traditional Atkin/BHP equipment to provide manufacturers with high-quality,
yet cost-effective applications. In fact the customer is so pleased with the
first line he has ordered a second 2,000 kg capacity press feed line, again using
a combination of Shung Dar and Atkin Automation equipment.”
He continued: “ Since
the announcement of our exclusive European distribution agreement with Shung
Dar in September 2004, we have received an unprecedented
level of enquiries from all over Europe. The combination of cost, quality and
expertise is proving to be of great appeal to industrial equipment buyers.”
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Atkin Automation goes to Europe
with Shung Dar
Atkin Automation chose last week’s MSV 2004 engineering
showcase event in Brno, Czech Republic to announce an exclusive
distribution agreement with Taiwanese manufacturer Shung Dar.
This sees the company supplying this manufacturer’s range
of coil handling and processing equipment throughout the newly
expanded EU (with the exception of Germany and Turkey).
Shung Dar products offer a highly cost effective, yet flexible solution to a
range of general engineering applications associated with coil handling and processing.
All equipment is being manufactured to customer specification in Taiwan, after
which it is shipped to Atkin Automation’s factory in England, where its
team of engineers undertake inspection and final testing, before proceeding with
site installation and commissioning.
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years
around its manufacture of the W.T.Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance
coil handling and processing products and equipment. In recent years it has also
supplied purpose-built automated production lines for a wide range of metal components.
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| Chris
Ward |
Atkin Automation Managing Director Chris Ward (right) is
looking to build a European network of agents who can work
with the company to ensure the Shung Dar product range
achieves significant EU market penetration over the next
three years. Announcing the company’s distribution
agreement in Brno, he said: “MSV 2004 is the ideal
springboard for the start of our pro-active Shung Dar
European marketing campaign. The products sit comfortably
along side our own
WT Atkin and BHP ranges, now enabling us to offer equipment options which can
reflect application feature and performance requirements whilst meeting budget
and cost considerations.”
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Q1/05 sales high at Atkin Automation
Atkin Automation has started 2005 with a sustained period of sales growth. Securing
the exclusive European distribution agreement with Taiwanese manufacturer, Shung
Dar, has contributed to Atkin Automation winning contracts worth in excess of £720,000
from across its product ranges.
A major contract of note is for a bespoke, £250,000 plus production line
from Unitrunk Limited, a cable tray and trunk manufacturer; other contracts have
come from both existing customers as well as from manufacturers who will be first
time users of Atkin Automation equipment.
Chris Ward, Managing Director of Atkin Automation, is delighted with the company’s
strong sales in the first quarter of 2005. He comments: “Atkin Automation
closed the first quarter on a sales-high. I believe our success is due both to
the company’s commitment to delivering innovative industrial solutions
from its wide range of products and a stable economic climate.”
He continues: “British manufacturers are realising that Atkin Automation
has the ability to supply highly complex, fully automated, bespoke production
lines capable of meeting the needs of many industry sectors.”
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years
around its design and manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high
performance coil handling and processing products and equipment. In recent years
it has also supplied purpose-built automated production lines for a wide range
of metal components.
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Atkin Automation grows
in Eastern Europe
Having already appointed sales agents in Poland and Czech Republic since securing
the European distribution rights for the Shung Dar range of Taiwanese coil handling
equipment in late 2004, Atkin Automation has now appointed a Latvian agent -
Machinery Latvia - based in Riga.
Machinery Latvia is a subsidiary of a large Finnish company which also operates
in Lithuania and Estonia. With a wealth of knowledge and experience of the Latvian
metal industry, it will be responsible for the sales and marketing of the Shung
Dar and Atkin/BHP products and automation solutions throughout Latvia, which
is one of the EU countries with greatest growth potential.
As well as installing and commissioning new equipment, Machinery Latvia’s
engineers will provide a technical support service to ensure users gain the maximum
production benefit from their investment.
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years
around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance
coil handling and processing products and equipment. The Shung Dar products sit
comfortably alongside its existing range and enable the company to offer highly
cost effective equipment options which reflect individual application feature
and performance requirements.
Atkin Automation Managing Director Chris Ward sees the development of successful
sales agents across Eastern Europe as being key to the company’s growth
strategy, saying: “Huge investment is being made into the economies of
those former Eastern Block countries which have recently joined the EU, and this
is already starting to create major sales opportunities for our products and
solutions.”
He continued: “We shall now be working closely with Machinery Latvia to
help it achieve early sales success, and I hope to be able to announce further
agency appointments
in Eastern Europe very shortly.”
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Continued success for
Atkin Automation with building
and construction component manufacturers
Since becoming the exclusive European distributor of the Shung Dar range of coil
handling and process equipment late last year, Atkin Automation has achieved
growing success with UK building and construction component manufacturers.
Its latest sales contract from this industry sector is from Parkes Products Limited,
a major manufacturer of builders’ fittings (www.parkesgroup.co.uk), and
is worth in excess of £120,000. The company has ordered a bespoke press
feed line for installation in its busy Thetford factory during July 2005.
Atkin Automation Managing Director Chris Ward is very pleased with the sales
growth of the Shung Dar range, saying: “Work has already commenced on the
detailed design of the Parkes press feed line. The Shung Dar equipment will arrive
from Taiwan in early July and we shall assemble and test the line in our factory
prior to site installation and
commissioning at Parkes later that month.”
He continued: “Shung Dar equipment offers cost effective, yet highly flexible
engineering solutions to a range of coil handling and processing applications,
and over the last six months we have enjoyed considerable success with building
component manufacturers. I believe the company’s ability to integrate Shung
Dar products into automated production lines plays a major part in this success.”
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years
around its design and manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high
performance coil handling and processing products and equipment. The Shung Dar
range sits comfortably alongside these traditional products, enabling the company
to offer a wider range of solutions to control steel strip applications to suit
most capital investment programmes.
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Atkin Automation wins major
contract from Unitrunk
Atkin Automation has won a major contract worth over £250,000 from the
Northern Ireland based cable tray and trunking manufacturer, Unitrunk Limited.
Atkin Automation Managing Director Chris Ward confirmed that work will start
immediately on the detailed design of this bespoke production line in order to
ensure that the Thetford factory meets the August 2005 site installation timetable.
The development of this production line, which will be used to manufacture light
and medium duty cable trays, will involve Atkin Automation in the manufacture
of a press feed line which it will then integrate with Chin Fong presses and
swaging stations and a roll former from the Italian company Gasparini. All the
line engineering, controls and interface systems to create a fully automated
line will be provided by Atkin Automation’s team of specialist engineers
and technicians.
Chris Ward is delighted the company has won this contract, saying: “Although
Unitrunk has used Atkin press feed and coil processing equipment for many years,
we faced stiff competition for this contract. I believe the combination of our
product quality and reliability, together with our ability to undertake the complex
integration process to provide a fully automated production line, was key to
our success.”
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years
around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance
coil handling and processing products and equipment. It recently gained the exclusive
European distribution rights to the Shung Dar range of Taiwanese coil handling
and processing equipment, which sits comfortably alongside the company’s
traditional products.
< Back to news index
Atkin Automation to develop
new business
in Czech Republic and Slovakia
Having secured the European distribution rights for the Shung Dar range of Taiwanese
coil handling equipment in late 2004, Atkin Automation has now established its
sales, installation and support network in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
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Atkin Automation takes Shung Dar
to Europe. |
Kolin based B & B Industry will be responsible for the
marketing and promotion of the Shung Dar and Atkin range of
products and automation solutions. It is a well respected company
with an in depth understanding of the equipment needs of the
metal and general engineering industries in both countries.
The company already has a strong customer base for its range
of high quality motors, gears, chains and drives.
Prerov based Bukacek Electro will undertake the service and support for all the
Shung Dar and Atkin equipment and systems sold by B & B Industry in both
countries. The company’s engineers will play a vital back-up role, installing
and commissioning new machinery as well providing comprehensive service and technical
support to ensure the highest levels of production output.
Atkin Automation’s international reputation has been built over many years
around its manufacture of the Atkin and BHP range of specialist, high performance
coil handling and processing products and equipment. The Shung Dar products sit
comfortably alongside its existing range and enable the company to offer highly
cost effective equipment options which reflect individual application feature
and performance requirements.
Atkin Automation Managing Director Chris Ward sees the establishment of sales
and service networks which can work with the metal industry in those countries
which have recently joined the EU as a major business opportunity, saying:
“My recent visits to Eastern Europe have shown me that
there is a huge need for reliable, cost effective metal handling
equipment. As well as working closely with our agents in the
Czech Republic and Slovakia to help them exceed their sales
targets, over the next few months we shall also be working
in countries such as Hungary and Latvia to identify companies
which have the right profile to act as our agents.”
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