A successful move for Plasticraft

Earlier this year, well established plating and process plant manufacturer Plasticraft- a Norman Hay plc company- relocated its main production operation from Cannock to Norman Hay's comprehensive central design and engineering facility in Coventry. Has the move paid off? The editor recently visited the company to check on progress seven months down the line ...

The Plasticraft move to Coventry was part of the "strategic integration" of three Norman Hay plc manufacturing divisions: Plasticraft itself, Ultraseal International and Ardrox Engineering. These operations share the same basic activity - the movement of process liquids - so the consolidation of engineering design and production expertise under one roof to streamline manufacturing, optimise operating efficiency and reduce costs, will undoubtedly help the companies to compete more effectively in today's tough global market for capital equipment.
Consolidation of the three operations was also designed to facilitate the smooth¬ing-out of the sales "peaks and troughs" inherent in capital equipment manufacture and assist with overall production stability.

However, risk is inherent in a major change of this kind. Customers may feel insecure and the existing workforce can become disaffected.

In this case, the positives appear to have vastly outweighed any potential negatives.
Says Peter Gummer, Director - Business Development at Norman Hay plc: "Since moving to the Coventry engineering base, Plasticraft has gone from strength to strength. The company has completed two large process lines recently for a major aerospace customer and has a very healthy order book.

`In fact, its amazing how quickly the Plasticraft operation has become integrated, which reflects the professionalism both of the management and the workforce."

Plasticraft has retained its plastics fabrica¬tion plant in Cannock, which Peter Gummer says is working "flat-out", and most of the other former Cannock-based workforce now travels to Coventry.

The company has also been keen to retain the confidence of its existing customers, many of whom have already visted the Coventry facility.

"Our major customers have been quick to appreciate the benefits of integration and have been impressed by the technical capability of Norman Hays comprehensive design and engineering resource in Coventry," says Peter Gummer.

Ardrox Engineering

Plasticraft shares a common customer base in the aviation industry with sister company, Ardrox Engineering, which moved to the Coventry site in 2003 following its acquisition by Norman Hay plc. Ardrox NDT chemistry (supplied by Chemetall plc) is firmly estab¬lished in aerospace but the Ardrox plant engineering expertise offered by Norman Hay plc is perhaps less well known. Although Ardrox Engineering has achieved notable successes over the last few years, particularly with its automated carousel NDT systems and working on many refurbish¬ment projects, its technical capabilities have not been actively marketed.