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News Release from: Hardinge Machine Tools
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 September 2005
Leicester,UK plant to become world
'milling hub'
UK operations of Hardinge-Bridgeport in Leicester will become the hub for co-ordination of all CNC milling activities throughout the world, following a major strategy re-organisation.
A major re-organisation of the operational strategy of Hardinge Machine Tools and Hardinge-Bridgeport will see the UK operations of Hardinge-Bridgeport in Leicester become the hub for co-ordination of all milling activities throughout the world Meanwhile, Hardinge Machine Tools of Exeter is to continue responsibility for turning and grinding products for the UK and Irish markets, while also controlling the activities of its direct Dutch company, Hardinge Machine Tools BV
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 6 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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According to Pat Ervin, chairman of the Board, Hardinge, president and CEO: "Following the highly successful acquisition of Bridgeport Machines in November 2004 and an extremely positive reaction from customers to the way the two businesses were integrated so quickly, this has led to a resurgence of sales and a current order backlog of almost 130 machines".
"With this fast moving story of success, it is logical to merge our European operations through the UK, enabling the US to focus on the wider picture of global manufacture," he said.
Ervin commented: "Every aspect of the acquisition has developed to be more successful than could have been hoped but we cannot sit here patting ourselves on the back".
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Automation comes as a standard part of the package with the Hardinge EMAG VL Pick-Up Spindle Lathes, as do a chip conveyor and air filtration unit, all at less than GBP 75,000.
UK: pick-up spindle VTLs are getting there
The Three Toed Sloth is getting there, slowly, says a manufacturer of vertical pick-up spindle CNC turning centres of its progress to encourage UK plants to take up the technology.
"We need to maintain the momentum of a forward looking machine tool business becoming stronger day by day as a global player in difficult markets." The European operational team is now the joint responsibility of Bob Duxbury, managing director of Hardinge Machine Tools in Exeter and George Brasseur, European Business Development managing director.
David Andrew maintains his role as sales director for the UK market, which incorporates grinding milling, turning and workholding products.
However, he now has the added responsibility for marketing across Europe the Group's turning, milling and workholding product ranges.
Moving into Phase Two of European operations, September will see a significant investment in the opening of a new 1,000m2 Hardinge-Bridgeport showroom and technical centre at Krefeld in Germany, which will encourage further development and customer support with the site being earmarked as the 'European Centre of Excellence' for hard turning applications.
This particular area of mill/turning technology is a growing strength within Hardinge due to the 'track record' of machine tool development, credibility of build and performance.
Meanwhile in the US, the common distribution network of Hardinge, Bridgeport and its grinding company's products is now in place and according to Ervin: "European sales of the Group's machine tools should pass through the 1,000 units a year in 2006".
"There is also a growing order book for increasing added-value turnkey projects involving front-line technology developed solutions such as those linked to the highly successful Viper grinding processes in the aerospace sector and progressive activity for workholding products around the world".
"This will further strengthen the positioning of the business for the long term," he says.
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