Thompson gets new management team; seeks more staff
1 min read
A new management team has taken the helm at engineering and friction welding specialist firm Thompson, which is also looking to take on new staff, thanks to a record number of new orders.
Peter Lovegrove, formerly operations director, has been appointed managing director and global sales manager, while Nick Edge has been promoted to the new role of sales and marketing director.
The Halesowen-based company, which builds friction welding machines and automated production systems, is looking to expand its 80-strong workforce by recruiting more robot programmers and commissioning engineers to cope with its busy order book.
Among Thompson's latest orders is a contract to build the world's largest rotary friction welding machine. The 400 tonne model is bound for a customer in North America where it will be used for producing hydraulic parts.
The holder of a Queen's Award for Enterprise, it has already designed and developed the world's largest linear friction welding machine, the E100 (see video), which can join parts up to 10,000 mm sq for the aerospace and power generation industries.
"The new team has a wealth of experience in the friction welding industry and a desire to move the business forward into existing and emerging markets," said Larry Drake, president and CEO of parent company, KUKA Systems.
Image: Managing director Peter Lovegrove, left, and Nick Edge, sales and marketing director, right
