One of his remits is to support existing customers in the area, for example acting as point of contact for applications engineering and service requirements. He will also identify new business opportunities for the sale of leading machine tool brands for which Whitehouse is sole sales and service agent in the UK and Ireland.
They include compact, 30-taper VMCs from Brother, Japan, Taiwanese-built machines from Averex (HMCs) and WELE (VMCs, HMCs and VTLs), CNC turning centres from Biglia, Italy, CNC lathes and machining centres produced in Germany by Spinner, and large 5-axis machining centres from another German manufacturer, AXA. Automation options are increasingly supplied with the machines, in line with the general trend throughout manufacturing.
Based in Southampton, Fell is a time served toolmaking apprentice who gained NVQ Level 3 and then a National Certificate in manufacturing at what is now Havant and South Downs College.
He studied on day-release while working as a setter-operator on machining centres and CNC lathes at subcontracting firms in the area, experience which ideally equips him for his new role.
So also does his track record in sales, initially in the tooling sector and subsequently working for two machine tool companies selling capital equipment for machining prismatic and rotational parts. Most recently, before joining Whitehouse Machine Tools, he specialised in sales of tool setting equipment.
