XYZ Machine Tools looks to Europe with ambitious target

To drive this achievement, Andrew Kilshaw (pictured) has been appointed export sales manager. He brings extensive European sales and management experience, backed with a toolmaking and automotive industry manufacturing, as well as plant and equipment, buying background. Mr Kilshaw's brief is to adapt the well-proven, UK developed sales strategy around showroom and demonstration centres, marketing promotion and branding which is to be tailored to individual country requirements. These factors will be combined with the formula of a winning machine build specification and competitive price, backed by a strong customer technical, training and service support operation. Says managing director Nigel Atherton: "We plan to develop the infrastructure for European distribution by replicating the success of XYZ built up over the last 30 years. Here, Andrew's background and communication skills, with the ability to understand individual market needs, will help to significantly increase the penetration of our product range in the turning, mill-turning and machining centre business." Initial focus for XYZ is Germany, France, Scandinavia and certain Eastern European countries. Already distributors have been set up in most countries, with the German distributor for Amz Flott GmbH, a drilling machine specialist based in Remscheid near Dusseldorf, taking the XYZ product portfolio to the EMO exhibition in Hanover during September. XYZ has sold up to 1,000 machines a year, making it the largest supplier of CNC machines in the UK. Sales topped £24 million last year.