Pictured left to right: ADS Laser Cutting’s business support director Zeke Keates, production director Stuart Rowan, joint managing director Duncan Keates, and technical director Andy SmithLeicester-based
ADS Laser Cutting, a metalworking firm which offers a comprehensive laser cutting, folding, fabrication, finishing and assembly all under one roof, has expressed optimism for the year ahead following a period of strong sustained growth and unprecedented investment in its team and equipment. The expanding business has a vision to reach a turnover of £20 million within the next five years.
Known locally as the saviour of the iconic Fox’s Glacier Mint factory which it purchased three years ago, and which now serves as the firm’s 87,000ft
2 headquarters, ADS Laser Cutting has an impressive portfolio of global clients that includes Norton Motorcycles, Sandvik and Network Rail. It has recently increased its team of full-time employees by 15% and additionally, three existing managers have been promoted to director roles within the senior leadership team. Andy Smith has been promoted from general manager to technical director, Stuart Rowan has assumed the role of production director, and Zeke Keates is now the business support director having started as an apprentice at the firm 10 years ago.
Joint managing director and founder Duncan Keates said: “Over the past 18 years since founding ADS Laser, we have enjoyed sustained growth. When we started, it was just myself and my brother Stephen with support from our wives Angie and Samantha, and we were based in a 3,000ft
2 facility. Today we are the proud owners of an iconic headquarters with an 87,000ft
2 facility on 7 acres, supported by a highly skilled team and fortunate to work with some of the best clients in the industry.”
Continued growth trajectoryHe added: “However, success doesn’t come from sitting still and we recognised the need to invest in our management structure for continued growth and to enable us to meet our ambitious targets. Together, Andy, Stuart and Zeke have demonstrated their passion for delivering the very best to our clients and to supporting our ever-growing team, and I am delighted to have their support on our continued growth trajectory. We have also recruited three new fabricators and 2024 will see us actively recruit a new cohort of apprentices.”
ADS Laser Cutting has also made significant investments in other areas of the business. This month, it commissioned a new robotic welding machine worth over £70,000 that will enable the team to deliver unparalleled consistency and efficiency in both time and cost for its fabrication services. It has also placed orders worth over another £80,000 collectively for a suite of new equipment that includes a 2-D and 3-D laser co-ordinate measurement machine, a 3-D tripod and associated software.
Mr Keates concluded: “Our recent investment of over £150,000 in new equipment brings our total investment in 2023 to over £1 million. That figure means our clients can be assured of unparalleled consistency and efficiency as well as market-leading quality control standards and we believe this sets ADS Laser Cutting aside from the competition. We hear a lot about business optimism — or lack of — but for ADS Laser, we are looking ahead to 2024 with renewed vigor.”