Cromwell Tools: keeping manufacturing companies running since 1968

Cromwell Tools 11052021
Cromwell Tools 11052021

There’s a lot of science, mathematical formulae, technology and engineering know-how that goes into the design, development and manufacturing of cutting tools, but at the end of the day they’re consumables, and without them, every machine shop on the planet would grind to a halt. Tooling distributors therefore play an absolutely vital role in keeping the wheels of industry turning – literally. Dave Tudor spoke to one of the biggest around, Cromwell Tools.

I think I’ve always been aware of Cromwell Tools. When I started my apprenticeship in 1981, I’d regularly see the company’s engineers visiting our factory peddling their wares and making sure that we never ran out of cutting tools.

And then there’s my Dad, who in the years running up to his retirement, ran the stores for a National Grid power station contractor. You can imagine what a demanding job that was. He used to mention Cromwell Tools a lot as one of his key suppliers. It’s an organisation that has built a longstanding reputation for reliability and dependability – and in manufacturing circles, that’s worth its weight in gold.

The primary role of a distributor is to sit between the product manufacturer and the end user. Generally, it’s all about two things – service and stock. Distributors carry a vast inventory of products (so the manufacturer doesn’t have to) and can usually supply same day or overnight to the customer. The best distributors – like Cromwell – work proactively with their clients, ensuring that they never run out of cutting tools or ancillary products to keep production lines moving. This is the service aspect of the equation.

Like many successful organisations, the company’s roots are humble. Mick Gregory started the company in 1968 and from day one the objective was to supply local engineering businesses with a range of essential products that they’d need on a regular basis.

The problem then was that the intrepid Mr Gregory also had a ‘day job’ working for a local manufacturing business so all extracurricular activity had to be conducted outside of work hours from home. At the time he lived in Market Harborough – in street called Cromwell Crescent. You can see where this is going.

Growth was meteoric. In 1970, Mr Gregory canned the day job and opened his first shop in Leicester, closely followed by similar outlets popping up in all the major manufacturing locations around the country. Even in those days – as it remains today – the foundation of the business was centred around engineering, so it wasn’t long before cutting tools found their way into the company’s product portfolio.

Exceptional company growth continued both organically and through a number of acquisitions along the way – not just nationally but internationally. 20% of Cromwell Tools’ overall business is overseas.

Cromwell Tools' CEO Neil Jowsey

Today, the man in the driving seat at Cromwell is managing director Neil Jowsey and although the empire has grown astronomically, the business ethic remains the same: supporting customers through one of the widest product ranges in the marketplace and exemplary customer service.

Tailored support


But it’s not just about the supply of products – it’s also about their application. Through specialist engineering and product specialist teams – with more than 400 years’ collective experience – Cromwell not only supplies the right tools for the job when they’re needed; it also works closely with customers on process improvements and optimisation to ultimately make clients more profitable.

I’m loathe to use frankly overused and cliched terms like solutions provider but that’s what Cromwell Tools is. It tailors support levels to meet the needs of its customers – from simple off-the-shelf products to re-evaluating an entire manufacturing process driving cost-down initiatives and cycle time reduction.

Some facts and figures: Cromwell offers customers access to more than 230,000 cutting tool products representing household names such as Iscar, Mitsubishi Materials, Kennametal, Guhring, Sandvik Coromant, Dormer Pramet and Walter. In fact, Cromwell has access to over 500 cutting tool suppliers with 40,000 products always in stock for next day despatch.

We should also mention that Cromwell sells and supports its own range of off the shelf affordable tooling via its Sherwood, Swiss Tech and Kennedy brands as well as Indexa tool holding and Yamaloy indexable inserts.

These are available in the UK but are particularly popular overseas with its operations in Southern Ireland, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Working closely with customers


“True to our roots, our main headquarters is located in Leicester,” Neil Jowsey explains. “It’s home to around 250 members of staff, including our technical teams, and also our main 300,000ft² warehouse where 60% of our inventory is held.

“But as a business, we like to be close to our customers – which is why we have 39 mini warehouses, or branches – located around the country with more coming onstream all the time. These local branches are pivotal to our operation. Collectively they hold 40% of our total inventory – around £30 million in value – and ensure that our customers get a personal service geographically. We have two new branches opening imminently in Plymouth and Maidstone which will take the total to 41.”

This personalised, local service is at the heart of Cromwell Tools’ success and through this approach it offers the best of both worlds. It’s easy to forget that this is a substantial £230 million turnover business employing 1,550 members of staff (1.350 in the UK), yet many customers still tend to order their products through their local account manager (there are 150 in Great Britain).

For larger, more complex technical projects however, account managers can always turn to Cromwell’s technical engineering team which is very hands-on. This, combined with a fully featured website that facilitates online ordering means that Cromwell, and its customers, have all bases covered.

It’s also worthy of note that Cromwell has installed over 5,000 vending machines at customer sites around the UK. Stock management and replenishment is automated and seamless. Again, the local service mentality kicks in; Cromwell has 170 delivery vans scurrying all over the country ensuring customers never run out of the tools they need most.

Cromwell stocks just over 150,000 products buy typically a further 200,000 - 250,000 are ordered as one-offs or on a smaller batch quantity basis. Its primary and bestselling product groups comprise: cutting tools, safety equipment, abrasives, power tools and hand tools, but perusing around the website, it’s hard to find something the company doesn’t stock – PPE, lubricants, measuring and test equipment, adhesives and sealants, cleaning and hygiene, even lighting and stationery. It’s all there.

Driving innovation


On the tooling side, it must be a real challenge keeping up with new product and technology developments from the main brands? “For that we have to thank our category management specialists,” advises Cromwell Tools’ category director, Matt Easters. “They’re really close to the market and engage regularly with our key suppliers to keep abreast of new products being launched and identify and understand market trends.

“Our real strength however is the close working relationships we enjoy with our strategic partners which include the top seven global tooling brands Sandvik Coromant, Guhring, Dormer Pramet, Kennametal, Iscar, Mitsubishi and Walter plus others. They’re the ones driving the innovation and they provide all the training we need in terms of new products and technology.

“We believe our USP in the cutting tool arena is the fact that we’re completely unbiased and have access to the biggest brands. That enables us to focus 100% on the customer’s requirements and always supply the best solution,” he adds.

Neil Jowsey concurs: “We’re really fortunate – and indeed proud – to have such close relationships with these exceptionally innovative suppliers. Way back in the late 1960s, our founder Mick Gregory literally started the company working with these businesses and there’s a real sense of loyalty between Cromwell and our principals that has grown stronger and stronger over the years.”

In-house expertise


In terms of keeping abreast of ever-evolving new tooling technology – chemical compositions, geometries, coatings and materials for example – a recent new recruit has been tasked with doing just that. Ken O’Brien, a tooling veteran of more than 25 years has joined the business as product development manager and his role will be to constantly assess Cromwell’s product portfolio to make sure it stays relevant.

“It’s a constantly changing landscape,” Matt Easters affirms. “Ken, in conjunction with our key partners and category management specialists will ensure we’re on top of any new developments which ultimately means better products and support for our customers.”

And it’s not just Ken O’Brien that has joined the ranks at Cromwell recently. The company has also recruited Phil Sault as category manager and Malcolm Hall, formerly of Seco Tools, as technical engineering director.

The final word goes to Neil Jowsey: “Our customer base spans some 30,000 businesses – some are very well known and others not so much. But irrespective of their size, it gives me real satisfaction when I visit our customers and see them manufacturing things that shape and improve the world we live in.

“Britain’s heritage is in making things and I’m proud that Cromwell Tools is playing its part in that process – keeping our clients’ operations running and their people safe.”

Cromwell Tools www.cromwell.co.uk

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Cromwell Tools

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