Mollart Engineering sales match peaks of 2008

Managing director Guy Mollart said: "We predicted 2010 would be a difficult year and had prepared to match costs against forecasted sales but instead of the industrial recession biting the business hard, we are back to the highlights of 2008 and are even now recruiting skilled machine setters." Mollart was largely unaffected by the initial slow down in machine tool sales 18 months ago due to the longer lead time and order backlog associated with its special purpose deep hole drilling equipment. "We were busy with a full order book but forward sales seemed to drop off a cliff. However orders have picked up and bridged the gap and we currently have machines worth £2 million in build," explained Mr Mollart. Renewed contacts and new business in its subcontract operations based at Chessington and in Resolven, South Wales are now benefitting from the multi-million investments in turn-mill technology, software, deburring and component cleaning which have drawn in major business from telecoms and oil and gas. Mollart has now broken into the semiconductor sector to such an extent that it is recruiting skilled setters for its key Mazak Integrex production machines. "The subcontract order book has increased by 60 per cent against 12 months ago," commented Mr Mollart. Mollart's tooling business has chalked up orders in excess of £2 million in 2010 helped by the acquisition of Bencere for deburring, burnishing and recessing tooling. Mr Mollart says: "This has added a new dimension to the business especially in the automotive sector where we are experiencing a significant rise in tooling opportunities."