Scarborough-based Unison Ltd, the UK’s leading manufacturer of tube-bending machines and the inventor of all-electric tube manipulation, has recruited several former employees of now defunct Preston-based Addison Forming Technologies Ltd (formerly known as Addison McKee).

Unison’s joint managing director, Alan Pickering, said: “With new Unison tube-bending technologies and software solutions in the pipeline, new markets to break into, and exciting long-term strategic plans, we took the decision to recruit as many of the former Addison team members as we could justify and, in doing so, keep their considerable skills in the UK.

“Between them, the guys from Addison have a wealth of tube-bending knowledge. Therefore, when we heard that the business had ceased trading back in July, we simply could not sit back, do nothing and allow such talent to be wasted or enticed overseas. As you can imagine, this is a significant investment for us. But we are convinced it will reap rewards and enable us to offer even higher levels of service to our global customer base.”

Already working at Unison are former Addison sales manager Andy Worthington, proposals engineer Luke Gibson, software engineer Bill Watson and machine tools designer Dan Gallagher. More ex-Addison employees are expected to take up positions with Unison in the coming weeks.

Innovative tube bending technologies
Mr Worthington said: “I have known the Unison team for almost all of the 28 years I worked at Addison’s Walton Summit site and, as you would expect, there was always friendly rivalry between the two companies. Whereas Addison’s Databend machines were largely focused on the automotive exhaust sector, Unison’s innovative tube bending technologies, including the all-electric Breeze, hybrid Synergy machines and associated tooling, have always had a much wider reach — and are present in sectors such as shipbuilding, aerospace, oil and gas, architecture, motorsport and general manufacturing.

“I am looking forward to exploring new markets and introducing Unison’s market-leading technologies to contacts old and new. Before that, however, I will be heading to the FABTECH expo in Atlanta, taking place 8-10 November, where Unison will be showcasing its latest tube-bending and control technologies to North American customers.”

Luke Gibson, who joins Unison as a tooling sales specialist, said: “The sheer breadth and quality of the bend tool solutions on offer is exceptional. Unison have clearly invested regularly in its bending solutions over the years, and it shows. In fact, the company are about to purchase a new CNC machine specifically for their tooling division. Unison can support virtually any make of bender with a precise tooling solution and will even adapt tooling to fit specific machines.”

Unison manufactured the world’s first all-electric tube bender in 1994, followed by the world’s first all-electric multi-stack tube bender, then the world’s largest all-electric tube bender for the shipbuilding industry.

Available in single-stack, multi-stack and right/left varieties, Unison machines are present in more than 20 countries worldwide. Moreover, the company’s proprietory tube-bending software is recognised as the most user-friendly control system for tube-bending machines.