Moreover, the new showroom has played a part in what ETG UK sales manager Stewart Cousins calls a "very positive" sales environment. He reports that 30% of sales can be attributed to the Trade Show opening and subsequent customer visits and demonstrations.
“The thinking behind the PTS – as its name implies - was for a year around demonstration facility rather than just a pop-up trade show for two or three days. This means that customers can use the facility to prove out programmes and concepts before deciding what the best machine tool for the task in hand is,” he explains.
The PTS features machines from Chiron, Nakamura-Tome, Hardinge, Bridgeport and Quaser as well as examples of workholding and fixturing from ETG specialist Hyfore.
Another important development at ETG has been the appointment of third year apprentice applications engineer Chloe Reeve to work in the facility as its programmer and demonstrations co-ordinator. She is working towards qualifying as a applications specialist alongside ETG applications engineering, turnkey and training teams at ETG’s Wellesbourne based operations division.
“It’s a great environment to work in and one that gives me an opportunity to work not just with our engineers but those of customers and specialist suppliers,” Reeve says. “I aim to put this experience to great use as my career in engineering progresses,” she says.
