Hull-based
Paragon Toolmaking, a leading designer and manufacturer of press tools, injection moulds, jigs and fixtures, has invested £450,000 in new ‘state of the art’ machinery to increase automation and boost production.
General Manager Kevin Batty says the new equipment is essential to ensure the business can continue to meet increasing demand, while maintaining its reputation for having one of the very best equipped tool rooms in the industry.
Established in Hull in 1969, Paragon competes on a global scale, with customers in a variety of sectors including automotive, construction, aerospace, pharmaceuticals and white goods. The company has invested in a new CNC machine, which has a large 3 x 2m bed bed to cope with large die sets and plates, and works at twice the speed of the machine it replaces, as well as a new automated 700 x 1,000mm surface grinder. The new machines follow the purchase of a CNC coordinate measuring machine (CMM) last year, as owner Daniel Beaumont, who bought the business two years ago, looks to expand the company.
Mr Batty said: “Daniel has invested heavily in the business since he bought it as he recognises that we have the potential to grow our customer base given the unrivalled expertise we offer. As a business we have always prided ourselves on the fact that we enter partnerships with our clients. Between 70 to 80% of our business each year is repeat business, from customers requiring a couple of tooling projects a year to others needing more than 400 tooling projects.
“Now the aim is to keep growing and adding more new customers, as we did last year, and to ensure we can do that we have needed to invest, which Daniel is fully supportive of. The new equipment will make a big difference to our production abilities, which gives us the extra capacity to take on more orders.”
Mr Batty says Paragon continues to find the balance of investing in both equipment and people, with the business boasting 230 years’ combined experience in precision toolmaking. Around 60% of the workforce has been trained in-house. He continued: “The knowledge we have within our business continues to stand us apart.”
“You can have the very best equipment, but our job is about engineering knowledge and expertise to be able to design and manufacture bespoke tooling which allows clients to make bespoke products which often require challenging manufacturing processes.
“That is the reason clients they have remained loyal to us for over 50 years, and why parts and products manufactured with tooling made in our Hull factory are used by the likes of Range Rover, Siemens, Audi, Ford, VW, BMW, Mini and Lotus.”