Focus Brings Growth And Exports

In the past ten months the precision small batch and volume subcontractor has doubled turnover from its high technology CNC machining division and increased sales by 50% at its volume production operation.

Managing director Brian Steatham said: “Like most subcontract firms, production dipped two years ago as customers re-assessed stock levels. With lots of co-operation from a flexible workforce coupled with key investment decisions this put us in a strong position to meet varying monthly targets and in particular being able to respond quickly to bring in totally new business.”

Over the two years Mr Steatham restructured the business from being a mainly high volume producer of turned parts shipping over 500,000 components a week from its 38 multi-spindle autos installed at the Rodmatic Multico division and its CNC based, smaller batch producer Rodmatic Hytek into a sector-specific based supplier of turned and turn-milled parts. This move enabled the provision of a cost-effective production solution from prototype and small batchwork to continuous around-the-clock production where the joint experience and skills of the working team could be of greater benefit.

Rodmatic employs 50 people at Reading and is currently recruiting additional skilled machinists. In addition Mr Steatham has recently set up a customer support team under sales director Bob Todd with Adel Hinton as sales and marketing co-ordinator and Patrick Evans, a lean manufacturing specialist previously employed by machine builder Tornos in Switzerland. Mr Evans played a key role in application engineering for medical products and his appointment significantly strengthens Rodmatic’s position in the medical sector for future growth in component supply.