Bouncing back

Helen Meloy, operations director, explains: “We see 2010 as a year of restructuring, with significant levels of capital expenditure, including a new building on our existing site and other initiatives aimed at taking our company to its next stage of development.

“By the end of 2010, we predict that the business will have a platform enabling us to achieve a turnover of £3 million in 2011 – 30% increase on our previous best.”

The company traditionally specialises in the flexible manufacture of hydraulic components for multinational companies, notably in the mining and automotive industries. As a result of the slowdown in 2009, the subcontractor sought to diversify into the aerospace and machine manufacturing markets and is currently carrying out machining for two well known global organisations. Discussions are ongoing with several others.

The return to previous levels of business enables the company to proceed this year with several initiatives that were put on the back burner. The first will be the purchase of a new ERP (enterprise resource planning) system from Emax. The system will be totally integrated from quotations through production planning and control to despatch.

At least two more machine tools will be added on the shopfloor. One will be a 0.5m cube Mori Seiki NH5000 horizontal machining centre to occupy the fifth and final machine position within the Fastems, 72 pallet flexible manufacturing system. The second purchase will be another Puma 2500SY CNC lathe with 76mm bar capacity from Mills CNC to strengthen Clitheroe's mill/turning capacity.

A further capital purchase will be a Mitutoyo CNC coordinate measuring machine, which will join two similar, manually operated machines. The choice of product was based on the subcontractor's intention to move further into aerospace work. The company already holds AS9100 and is ideally located to service the sector.

To run what will be an expanded and upgraded inspection department, a new quality control officer was appointed during February this year. She is the first of six recruits planned for 2010 – mainly setter operators, which will increase the number of staff at Clitheroe Engineering to 35.

In addition, it is expected that an apprentice will be taken on during 2010 – the first since the company was established in 1973. Discussions are ongoing with nearby Burnley College to sponsor a year two undergraduate. Existing staff will benefit from a companywide analysis of skills and requirements so that they too can access additional training, as required.

Clitheroe
www.clitheroelightengineering.co.uk