36 July 2024 Production Engineering Solutions pesmedia.com SUBCONTRACTING MACHINED COMPONENTS The CTN Group and its founder Charlie Naismith have enjoyed some impressive growth in recent years. After leaving the University of Exeter in 2013 with a BEng in mechanical engineering and production management, Mr Naismith became involved with a small engineering concern based in Medway, Kent, G&J CNC Services. The company’s original owner-operator had reached retirement and was looking for someone new to take over the reins. At that time the company was operating from a small 800ft² facility but through investment in new machines and bringing new customers to its books, the company was soon able to add a second 1,000ft² unit, and then add more capacity by moving to its current site in Paddock Wood, where it offers high volume turning and milling capability. “It grew organically. Because we were winning more business, we were able to invest in new machinery each year, maximising the output from our two original units,” Mr Naismith begins. “However, by 2018 we needed more space again, so we moved to Paddock Wood.” It was at this point that Mr Naismith – keen to continue the rapid expansion of the business – began to look at a strategy of acquisition. “To increase G&J CNC again would have been difficult, but the acquisition model was a way to achieve that for the business. I’m also a firm believer that location is important when customers make decisions about where they source their parts. Most customers like to be relatively close to their suppliers and this allows us to enhance the support we can offer.” The first company Mr Naismith engaged with was R.L. Morris in Hampshire, a company that mainly produces very large volumes of small turned components on sliding head machines and whose owner was looking to retire while allowing a small team of engineers to remain together. “That acquisition went very well. It made clear the importance of investing in a business to demonstrate our intent and commitment to staff and customers. Whenever we have approached, or been approached by companies Onwards and upwards for dynamic group A member of the British Turned Parts Manufacturers Association (BTMA), the CTN Group is a prime example of an ambitious component supplier drawing on the heritage of its long-established connected companies, but also focused on the future. Ed Hill spoke to its founder and group managing director, Charlie Naismith, to discover more. PES Report Ed Hill www.qualiturn.co.uk 01992 584 499 ‘THERE’S AN ART TO THIS’ 9 QUALITY PRECISION ENGINEERING Sliding head lathes on the shopfloor at R.L Morris R.L. Morris has moved to a new manufacturing facility in Basingstoke since being acquired by the CTN Group
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU1OTY1OA==