A precision engineering company in North Wales is gearing up for global growth by investing £250,000 in cutting edge equipment.
Recruitment is also underway at Continental Diamond Tool (CDT) in Kinmel Bay as part of an ambitious expansion plan that will create 40 new jobs.
It’s all preparation for a move next year to a 30,000 sq ft factory nearby that’s three times the size of the current premises on the Tir Llwyd Industrial Estate.
Overall, the firm’s Indiana-based American owners, who took it over six years ago, are pumping £4 million into the company to triple production capacity and start making new products.
The niche company specialises in the manufacture of diamond-encrusted rotary dressers and grinding wheels, with tolerances of down to 1,000th of a millimetre in terms of accuracy.
It’s one of only two similar outfits in the UK and supplies a range of manufacturing sectors, including aerospace, automotive, medical and semi-conductors.
The company’s customers include blue chip corporations like Rolls Royce and Tenneco, with more than 60 per cent of the products being exported.
According to the workforce, the investment is the “perfect present” for the company that’s celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
Cllr Nigel Smith, Conwy County Borough Council’s cabinet member for Sustainable Economy, who is one of three councillors who represent Kinmel Bay on the authority.
The council helped CDT secure £100,000 in funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund towards the cost of the new equipment.
He came on a visit to see how the money had been spent on “space age kit”, including a high tech machinery centre, lathe and inspection equipment.
Cllr Smith said:
“What they do is very impressive, both in terms of the state-of-the-art technology and the high skill employment they provide in Kinmel Bay.
“It’s fantastic that they’re selling their world-leading products to an international market and they have a raft of blue chip customers like Rolls Royce.
“Over the years there has been a good relationship between the company and the council’s business development team and long may that continue.
“We were delighted to be able to help in securing £100,000 towards the cost of these cutting edge machines.
“It’s impressive, top-of-the-range technology and the level of precision they work to is mind-boggling – their tolerances are within microns. It’s engineering of the highest pinnacle.
“With them moving now to larger premises, I’ll be speaking to our team if there is anything more we can do to help them moving forward to help them grow and expand.
“Employment is a key issue in Conwy so have foster and support business where we can to retain our young people.
“It’s good to see the emphasis on training here and the apprenticeships, helped by the fact that they have a very good relationship with the local college.
“It’s always been a great company and there is now a new momentum under the American ownership and it’s very pleasing to see them invest in Kinmel Bay and that will pay dividends.
“The excellent legacy of the original company is now being turbo-charged by the Americans.
“It’s a company with ambition and it’s plain to see how committed the team are here – everybody has a good work ethic and it bodes very well for the future.”
Cllr Smith’s visit was hosted by Production Manager Justin Hughes, whose father was one of the founders of the original company, Peter Hughes.
Justin said:
“In this latest investment we have spent £250,000 on the three machines and it’s well in excess of £1 million just on new equipment in the last two or three years.
“We’re very grateful to Conwy Council for their help in facilitating the £100,000 that’s come from the UK Shared Prosperity fund. It’s made a massive difference because it enables us to employ the people to use those machines.
“The skill required by the people we have to do that is of the highest order and is just as important as the machine.
“Training and developing those people is just as key as our processes and our high precision machinery so working with the engineering centre at the local college is a big help.
“I am immensely proud of the company’s legacy and the way things are moving forward. It’s in my blood, this company.
“These are really exciting times with the move to the larger premises which will enable us to have new product lines.
“Continental Diamond Tool are the third biggest superabrasives supplier in the USA and they are looking to become the biggest.
“The American side of the business is growing at a rate of 30 per cent a year and we are the European arm and they are looking to us to emulate that success over here.
“We are developing a name for ourselves against the big multi-national household names and we are becoming one of those names.
Finance Manager Michaela Lawton added:
“The expansion into the new premises will enable us to increase capacity and the number of products we make so the sky is the limit.
“All this is happening in the year we are celebrating our 40th anniversary and the American side of the company is celebrating its 50th.
“We’ve got a great team of people here and there’s a shared pride in what we’re achieving.
“The expansion will create another 40 jobs and we have started to recruit people because of the skill sets required and the time it takes to train them.
“We’ve had a steady number of new employees joining us, particularly over the last four or five months so we can get all our ducks in a row.
“We make our products to 1,000th of a millimetre in terms of accuracy so we have to conduct the whole operation with the same level of exceptional quality.”
