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Star bags 19 machine orders in June
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04/07/2008
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Orders for 19 sliding-headstock lathes were taken by Star Micronics GB during June 2008, an all-time record for a single month.
In part helped by an Open House held from 16-20 June, the tally takes in 12 sub-contractors, seven of which are new to Star.
“We had a major impact on the precision turned parts sector in the second quarter of this year. It started at MACH, where we topped £1 million of orders,” said managing director Bob Hunt said.
“Holding an Open House eight weeks later enabled us to secure the latest clutch of orders. Some prospective customers expressed interest in our machines in Birmingham but were not prepared to place orders at the time. We were able to consolidate much of this business when they came to see us in Melbourne.”
On the last day of the Open House, Mr Hunt welcomed Councillor Heather Wheeler, Conservative District Councillor for the Repton ward in South Derbyshire and Leader of the Council. She was accompanied by husband Bob, a District Councillor for nearby Linton ward.
The importance of apprenticeships in manufacturing industry was discussed. The lady councillor was pleased to see that Star GB took on its first apprentice, Joe Whiteside, a couple of years ago and plans to employ a second later this year.
The wide-ranging conversation touched on local education and how to encourage young people to become involved in manufacturing.
Before the councillors left, Mr Hunt underlined a couple of initiatives that Star GB has introduced for local schools and colleges. One is to offer a facility for providing students with modern CNC technology within their educational establishments. The other is to invite pupils studying engineering in the Derbyshire area to Star’s technical centre, where they can be helped with practical exercises and project-based coursework.
Pictured: Heather Wheeler (centre), District Councillor for South Derbyshire’s Repton ward, with Bob Hunt, managing director of Star GB, and Tiziana Dorigo from The Manufacturing Technologies Association, pictured on the last day of Star GB’s open house at the end of June.
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Author
Andrew Allcock
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