At the tail end of 2018, Dugard became the sole UK and Ireland sales and distribution outlet for the Korean brand of Hanwha sliding-head machine tools, a move which was rapidly followed by the company being named as the sales and distribution outlet for Kitamura machines. Since taking on this added responsibility, sales enquiries have risen significantly, leading to the latest appointments.
Mark Anson started his engineering career more than 35 years ago as an apprentice mechanical engineer before progressing into sales engineer roles. Much of Anson’s career has been spent working in the sliding-head turning segment.
The appointment of Alex Clarke will provide end users with an aerospace, automotive and offshore machining specialist who can provide customer-driven attention to detail. With a comprehensive understanding of customer needs, from OEMs down to the smallest of subcontractors, Clarke has spent more than 10 years as both a machinist and a machine-tool sales engineer.
John Brimblecome has progressed through mechanical engineering posts to R&D, product development and machine-tool sales, where he spent a number of years with a recognised supplier.
Managing director Eric Dugard says: “Despite economic uncertainty, our investment in the expansion of our portfolio has paid dividends over the past 12 months. The new members of our team will bolster this growth trajectory, support our ambitious strategic aims and deliver nationwide support for customers.
“The Kitamura and Hanwha machines, along with the new series of cobots [collaborative robots] give Dugard one of the most comprehensive and diverse ranges available,” he adds. “Engineers that have long benefitted from our service, support, expertise and customer care, now have the opportunity to invest in robust and technologically advanced sliding-head turning centres, high-end machining centres and complementary automation solutions – the advantages of which will be delivered locally by our latest regional specialists.”
