New plants in India and China for UK engineering business

The company, which makes geared and other precision components and assemblies for the industrial, aerospace and automotive sectors opened the production site in Bangalore to develop and manufacture a range of new gear pump products. Production there will begin next month. The products will be sold internationally as well as to the local domestic market where Microprecision says demand for precision engineered components is growing exponentially. Microprecision said it had also purchased a three acre site on the Bangalore Aerospace Business Park to expand the company's medium to high volume manufacturing operations. This site will concentrate on the production of aerospace and automotive components and is expected to reach full production capacity by mid-2014. A statement from the company said: "This new large production facility will complement the UK business satisfying demand from the fast growing Indian market but also providing a low cost medium to high volume solution for our UK activities and export markets." The plan is for the UK Operation based in Hemel Hempstead to continue production of short-run items and 'specials' while developing its status as an R&D centre of excellence, developing and optimising more new part programmes to be put into production by the plant in India, and later a second site planned in China by 2015. Microprecision MD and founder Terry Grubb said, "In addition to establishing sales further afield, we are also presently extending our sales activities closer to home in France, Italy and Germany and demand is certainly growing for higher volume production runs.' "All our products will be supported by the technical expertise built-up over many years in the UK and as the higher volume manufacturing activities come on stream, the UK facilities will also act as a logistics hub for a proportion of re-imported Microprecision products manufactured by us in India and eventually, China. We are by no means reducing our UK footprint, but simply defending the long-term success and viability of the business by taking advantage of being able to supply new markets and geographical areas where demand is booming more cost effectively, while retaining our integrity and skills base."