Ian and I would like to thank you all – loyal customers, employees, suppliers, stakeholders and friends alike – for supporting Mechatronic over the last 25 years.
In 1988 I had a vision – I wanted to offer high tech solutions in robotics and automation to a wide range of companies. I sold off my tool making company, Westley Tools Ltd and started again, moving into a technology-based industry with Mechatronic - and that has proved to be the right decision. Manufacturing is going through tough times, with manufacturing as a percentage of GDP shrinking to 12% and many traditional industries closing down or re-locating to Europe and the Far East.
During this period many of our direct competitors have gone out of business through lack of demand or shortage of cash – yet as we celebrate our 25th year of trading, we are enjoying exceptional growth of 50% year on year, which we have maintained for the past 3 years.
In 2011 we sold our premises in Sheldon and relocated to a purpose-built facility in Kings Norton. We have employed lean manufacturing principles in the layout and the way the business is managed and we have brought our philosophy to the fore through our unique Kaizen playroom. Twenty five years ago Mechatronic began as a one man start up. We now employ a significant workforce and produce projects valued from £50,000 to over £1million. Our new premises have enabled the growth of the business and at one point in 2012 we were handling 38 projects simultaneously.
The banking crisis in 2008 and the subsequent lack of demand for automation solutions, especially in the automotive sector, has badly affected our industry yet we nurtured our wide portfolio of customers and took advantage of a difficult situation to re-shape our business.
The loss of so many UK manufacturers has created a massive imbalance in UK plc and survival has become a hot topic with economists, the press and government. Led by politicians and underwritten by confidence from our customers, we are now witnessing a resurgence and revival in the added value economy. Competition comes at a price – the most successful manufacturers are those embracing lean technologies, which means many more companies are investing in automation.
For Mechatronic this is a great business opportunity. Our company was built on these principles and we are able to offer creative and optimised “right first time” solutions that are competitively priced and offer true value for money.
Our loyal customer base covers a wide range of global industries and we believe in cultivating the organic garden, creating innovative processes and systems in response to our customers’ unique and often challenging requirements. Every machine we produce is bespoke, requiring its own design and construction, yet we receive a significant amount of repeat business, demonstrating that we do indeed fulfil our customers’ needs and often exceed expectations.
From the beginning our vision for Mechatronic was the synergy of mechanical, electrical and control engineering to realise a technological solution. We have invested in a superbly skilled workforce who have significant in-house experience and can take a machine from concept to commissioning using 3D CAD design, software, robotics, mechanical and electrical engineering, all within a project management framework.
One of the greatest attributes of our company is that we serve such a wide range of industries that we should never be short of opportunities. We look forward to continual growth and a programme of diversification across the automotive, business equipment, food, medical, construction, electrical, electronic, energy and general engineering industries over the next 25 years.
