A new sole agent for the UK and Irish markets has been appointed by Leadwell CNC Machines, which is based in Taichung (Taiwan).

Newly formed WH-Lead Ltd — located in Foundry Place, Old Tiffield Road, Towcester, NN12 6FP (www.wh-lead.co.uk) — is a sister company of Kenilworth-based Whitehouse Machine Tools (a long-established agency for well-known ranges of machining centres and CNC lathes manufactured in Japan, Germany, Italy and Taiwan).

With immediate effect, WH-Lead takes over sales and service of Leadwell’s growing range of turning centres and vertical-spindle machining centres.

Seamless continuity of supply in Britain and Ireland is assured, as Mike Heapy and Brendan Parrott from the previous agent (Lead Precision Machine Tools), have joined the new organisation.

They bring with them 30 years’ experience of the Taiwanese manufacturer and its products, and they will be able to draw on the resources and expertise of Whitehouse Machine Tools.

A representative selection of Leadwell machines will be available for demonstration in the new Towcester facility from May; other machine models are available on short delivery from stock held in Europe and Taiwan.

All can be supplied with either a Fanuc or Siemens control.

In related news, Leadwell has announced that — in the company’s 40th anniversary year — it has moved to a 43,500m2 purpose-built factory in Taichung.

This has the capacity to build 100 machines per month, split evenly between lathes and machining centres that are sold world-wide by a network of 45 dealers (about one third of the company’s production is exported to Europe).