The Engineering Technology Group is set to double turnover and the quantity of machines sold in 2013

3 mins read

The Engineering Technology Group (ETG) has confirmed that it is on track for a record year in 2013, with the company having more than doubled turnover and the quantity of machines sold, while the number of employees has grown from 60 to over 100.

The announcement comes six months after the company's taking on of the distribution and engineering support of Hardinge metalcutting machines in the UK, which includes service, support, maintenance and spare parts for all Bridgeport, Hardinge and Quaser machines in the UK and Eire, Related to that, ETG also appointed John McTernan, managing director European sales and marketing of Hardinge Group, as a non-executive director of its ETG Bridgeport subsidiary. The appointment reflects Mr McTernan's crucial role as the key conduit in ETG's relationship with the Hardinge Group and the Hardinge factories. ETG's CEO, John Temple, explains: "The logistics of the integration of the Hardinge business was challenging. Our existing businesses in the Engineering Technology Group have been flat out this year, after a record order intake in 2012, which continues into 2013. Our management resources were at times stretched, as we needed to complete a major £250,000 refit of our Southam headquarters to accommodate the Hardinge team relocation from Leicester. But this was all completed in record time without a hitch. "The refurbishment included new presentation and training rooms, and a major upgrade of our IT systems. At the same time, it was business as usual for all our subsidiaries, including the newly formed ETG Bridgeport UK Ltd, which handles the sales and support of the Hardinge, Bridgeport and Quaser ranges." The CEO stresses that ETG Bridgeport is an integrated part of ETG, not a separate part of the business. The sales team work across ETG's complete portfolio of brands, which has had a major impact on its market coverage with its existing products, while all sales, spares and workholding teams have been combined. "The integration could not have gone better," Mr Temple adds. "We relocated the Hardinge team of some 20 people in record time, without loss of support or service to our new, extended customer base. We have also recruited over 15 new staff, including five apprentices. This takes our head count to over 100 staff members, compared to 60 a year ago. "Sales have been tremendous; in fact, they have not missed a beat. Integrating the Hardinge sales team with ETG has created a formidable regional sales force of eight sales people having over two hundred years' experience between them. Linking these with the technical support teams from our subsidiary businesses Chiron Werke UK, Hyfore Engineering, Turning Technologies, Handtmann UK, Feeler UK and now ETG Bridgeport, has provided the team with the best possible technical support, in order to fully understand our customer needs and provide the 'best fit' solution. "ETG has never been a box shifter, we have always differentiated ourselves from our competitors by providing a solution, rather than a machine tool; therefore, we have built our supporting structure to service the overall needs of our customers, with ETG Finance, Engineering Solutions, and ETG software support, including FactoryWiz and CAMplete. Our latest venture at Hyfore Developments now offers prototype manufacturing, short batch pre-production run-offs, and now CMM measurement with our latest acquisition, a Mitutoyo CMM. "Engineering has never been busier and, with the addition of, possibly, 5,000 active users of the Bridgeport/Hardinge ranges, our aim is to provide 'womb to tomb' support for all our customers. Our aim is to create partnerships for repeat business and long-term support. Over 98% of our customers have more than one machine from our range. Repeat business and partnership is the key to our continued success." Mr Temple adds that long-term support from Santander Bank has been crucial to ETG's success: "We refinanced with Santander in 2011 and they supported my MBO at the end of 2012. Then, almost immediately, they got involved with this acquisition, which completed just four months after the MBO." Mr McTernan comments: "We are very happy with the way our relationship with ETG has developed and the success that ETG Bridgeport has seen. "As we explained when we announced this agreement six months ago, our strategy at Hardinge Group is to concentrate on the development and manufacture of our best-in-class product ranges and work with partners who can provide the highest levels of customer service and support. "Given the importance to the Hardinge Group of the UK turning and milling market, it was vital that we should entrust our Bridgeport and Hardinge machines to the right partner. There is absolutely no doubt that the Engineering Technology Group has proved to be the right partner. "We now have the opportunity - and the confidence in ETG as a partner - to continue to build an ever-closer partnership. My appointment as a non-executive director of ETG Bridgeport demonstrates the strength of our relationship and our confidence in what we will achieve in the future." Mr Temple concluded: "It was no accident that the acquisition has gone so well; we were well prepared. We performed well during the recession and re-launched the group with a landmark presence at MACH 2012 – all of which was in preparation for an initiative such as this. I think that a lot of people in the market have been surprised at what we have achieved." "Our aim is for group turnover to top £30 million in 2013, with the sale of more than 150 machines. Next year our plan is to consolidate and grow the business through both volume and expansion of market share. We also have further expansion plans, so watch this space."