Yamazaki Mazak has reported record sales in 2011 and strong confidence in the growth of hi-tech manufacturing in the UK, claiming that the sector is very much ‘open for business’.
UK sales director Tony Saunders confirmed the order intake for 2011 was 60 per cent higher than in 2010 and 16 per cent up on the pre-recession peak experienced in 2007.
“In the first half of 2011 sales were driven by the need for productivity improvements. Customers needed to increase their machining capacity and replace old, inefficient equipment in order to service the demand that they were experiencing. This was a positive sign and confirmed that the market was heading in the direction that we had predicted in 2010.”
He continued: “The latter half of the year saw continued sales growth across the breadth of our product portfolio from CNC lathes to horizontal machining centres and the much larger multitasking machines. From mid-year onwards we began to see much more strategic investment which is a clear sign that the market has confidence.”
Last year saw Mazak introduce a host of new products to the market, a number of which are manufactured at its Worcester manufacturing facility including the Vertical Centre Smart 530C and the Quick Turn Smart 350M, contributing to the 19 per cent increase in UK made machines – another record for the year.
Whilst aerospace proved to be the busiest sector in 2011, Mazak maintained a strong presence within the general subcontracting and the oil and energy markets. The automotive sector also increased significantly resulting in a 170 per cent increase in the sales of horizontal machining centres, the highest in a decade.
Saunders concluded: “We are optimistic the confidence we are seeing will continue to translate into sales and market growth throughout 2012. Hi-tech manufacturing is bucking the trend and leading the UK towards recovery.”
