Leicestershire-based
Percy Martin, is celebrating 100 years of supplying a wide range of used quality machine tools to the manufacturing industry. The successful family owned and managed business was originally founded in 1921 by Percy Martin when he moved to Leicester from Lewes in West Sussex, and since then it has passed through four generations of the Martin family.
Over the last 23 years, the current owners, Alistair and Iain Martin, have grown the business into a global supplier with machines being bought and sold regularly not only in Europe but also further afield, building a loyal customer base in Asia, the Americas and even Australia. The exports now equate to roughly 50% of the company’s £12 million annual sales turnover.
Andy Hubbard joined Percy Martin in 2019 and he has brought additional knowledge and experience gained from working in the machine tool industry for over 30 years.
The company started out in a small office in Evington Valley Road in 1921, before moving to De Montfort Street, Melton Road, Gipsy Lane and the current site on Church Hill Road in 1989. The current factory in Thurmaston is the company’s fifth site and was purpose-built to enable the company to handle all types of machinery. The 35,000ft
2 facility has a 16-tonne cranage capacity plus a number of forklift trucks including a Versa-lift which can lift up to 27,000kg.
Machines are cleaned, serviced and thoroughly checked before delivery and extra services such as training, tooling and commissioning can be provided if required. Furthermore, export documentation, road transport or containerisation for sea freight can be arranged to make the buying process as easy as possible for overseas buyers.
With the economy moving into a positive direction in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Alistair and Ian are optimistic for the future, not only for Percy Martin, but also for manufacturing in the UK as a whole and for the existing and newly emerging markets they deal with.