Export growth leads to Queen’s Award and relocation for toolmaking firm

Paignton-based CSS Group (Casting Support Systems) has recently visited Buckingham Palace to collect a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its export achievements and relocated to a brand-new, purpose-built, 60,000ft² factory. 

CSS Group company, Investment Casting Systems, was the recipient of the Queen’s Award. This was achieved following three exceptional years of export growth in the design and manufacture of mould and associated tooling for the composites industry, with the aerospace sector in the USA accounting for much of that increase in business.

Between 2018 and 2021 exports rose from £267,000 to £1.7m, increasing along with plans to double group turnover within the next five years. This has prompted the relocation to the new facility, which is over the road from the old factory that had simply become too small for the business to move forward in.

Group chairman and company founder, Ted Head, commented: “This prestigious award and our need to relocate is testament to the efforts of everyone involved at the company, not just over the past few years but throughout our 40 year history.”

The relocation will see each of the three group company’s sharing the available space with the toolmaking side of the business being the standout area for development. With recent investment in new machining technology, the move involved relocating six machining centres from XYZ Machine Tools.

It was estimated by CSS managing director James Head that it would take three days per machine to complete the move. However, a concerted effort from XYZ’s machine movers and service engineers saw all six machines back in production, including laser calibration to within 6µm, within seven days.

“It was an incredible effort by everyone concerned and as a result of the prompt and efficient service, what we are now calling XYZ Alley was back machining parts in very quick time,” said James Head.

The future is positive for CSS Group, with the forward order book for its toolmaking division looking strong and further growth predicted from aerospace, power generation and other industry sectors. The move to the new factory and office facility will allow for that growth to continue uninterrupted for many years to come.

XYZ Machine Tools
www.xyzmachinetools.com

CSS Group
www.castingsupportsystems.com