Ian Petitt, the newly appointed managing director of Chessington-based Mollart Engineering (www.mollart.com), has set a 10-year target to build the business from a £17 million operation to a £30 million turnover company with an enhanced return on investment to support its machine tool sales, tooling and sub-contract manufacturing operations.

Mr Petitt has been with Mollart for some 22 years — 18 of those as sales director. In this role, he achieved world-wide success for the company’s machine tool operations, frequently winning orders against very competitive global deep-hole-drilling companies with sales to manufacturers in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Scandinavia, Central Europe and Eastern Europe.

Mr Petitt said: “Mollart is an international UK business with a very strong and experienced team in deep-hole-drilling technology, resulting in over 95% of the 1,000 machines built being exported. I will draw further on our reputation and experience to continue building on our success in the customisation of our standard machines and special applications development, which often involve automation and bespoke solutions.”

A tool-maker and qualified production engineer, Mr Petitt has been involved in the machine tool industry since leaving further education. Before joining Mollart, he spent 16 years as a sales engineer for a UK-based manufacturer of special-purpose machines and machining centres.

Mollart now employs 140 people, with machine tool build, sub-contract machining and tooling based at the Chessington headquarters; at its recently expanded facilities in Resolven, South Wales, the company undertakes sub-contract machining, assembly and fabrication work.