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News Release from: 600 Group
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 02 October 2006
UK machine tool group restructures,
rebrands
The 600 Group has reviewed business strategy and has divided itself into three distinct and complementary divisions; these are 600 Machine Tools, 600 Electrox Laser, and 600 Technologies.
Following the arrival of 600 Group new chief executive Andrew Dick at the beginning of the year, the Group has undertaken a major review of its business strategy The Strategy Review, being announced on 26th September, incorporates a world-wide review of all the Group's activities and builds upon the company's already strong international business awareness
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 13 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Dick explained: "Our remit is to market a focused portfolio of branded machine tools, laser markers and technology solutions which provide quality, dependability, and service at their respective price positions through a customer-focused organisation.
This portfolio will be marketed primarily to mature Western economies and the growing economies of Central and Eastern Europe.
The task now is how best to translate this remit into practice." The essence of the new strategy is that the Group has been divided into three distinct and complementary divisions.
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These divisions are 600 Machine Tools, 600 Electrox Laser, and 600 Technologies.
Globally, the focus of the Group's efforts will be North America, Central and Eastern Europe as well as a continued strong presence in the mature Western Europe and UK markets.
600 Group as a machine tool manufacturer positions itself in the medium technology market.
To enable customers to purchase the full range of machine tool technologies combined with the assurance of buying from a substantial, well-recognised Group, 600 Machine Tools will concentrate on three distinct new brands.
These are designed to encourage greater customer focus and service within each of the three product groupings, ensuring that the Group is better able to focus its activities on the needs of specific markets and provide each of those markets with even stronger support.
* The brands comprise the following.
1 - Lower technology value machines, branded Clausing and launched at MACH 2006.
2 - Medium technology CNC machines, branded Colchester-Harrison to be launched on October 2, 2006.
3 - High technology factored machines, branded 600 Solutions, also to be launched on 2nd October.
Colchester-Harrison direct sales have moved to the 600 Centre and an extended UK sales team with a new director has been created.
A new high level general manager has been appointed to develop the North American market.
An office has opened in China.
A new plan for 600 Lathes, which includes enhanced customer service and applications engineering, is being implemented.
* Rebranding - the most radical step within these changes is the rebranding of the Colchester and T S Harrison lathes as 'Colchester-Harrison'.
Richmond VMCs will be included within this brand and in itself the Richmond brand will disappear.
The combination of these well respected British brands gives the customer the advantage of a broad range of options available within the single brand, from a single source, including for the first time prismatic machining.
A full range of CNC systems, from prototyping through to high volume production machines, is now offered under the one brand and in the same styling.
Colchester-Harrison machines will be sold direct to customers in the UK from 600 Centre and overseas through Group companies.
Established distributors are already operating in the parts of the world where the Group does not have its own companies.
600 Solutions will focus on turnkey solutions and stand-alone applications using 'best in class' machines sourced world-wide.
Applications engineering has always been at the heart of what is now a separate entity within the Group.
Under the 600 Solutions banner, the Group's considerable international expertise is being pulled together to provide customers with 'best-in-class', tailored solutions suited to their specific requirements.
600 Solutions is brand-specific according to the country, in which it is operating.
600 Centre in the UK, for instance, is continuing to sell Fanuc, Okamoto, Toyoda Mitsui among others.
Parat in Germany continues to sell Fidia, Geka and Sachman Rambaudi.
600 Machine Tools in Canada continues with Enshu, Fuji, Mitsui Seiki, and in Australia Fanuc, Joemars, and Supermax.
The 600 Laser division is a single company division comprising Electrox.
One of very few fully integrated laser manufacturers, the company is a leader in the development and industrial application of laser technology throughout the world.
600 Technologies division is essentially the production support division, ensuring customers are able to realize their goals.
It includes the well-known and respected brands of Crawford Collets, Gamet Bearings (super precision taper roller bearings) and Pratt Burnerd International (chucks).
These companies each have the other 600 Group companies as significant customers as well as supplying their products to a wide range of other customers throughout the world.
Dick said: "When I first joined the Group as chief executive, I said `judge me by my actions not my words.
I was fully aware at the time that all the companies needed to become more customer-orientated and that our product ranges were due for reassessment." He said: "Action based on feelings rather than fact is meaningless, however.
Our usual research - market research into the trends within the manufacturing industry, the needs of customers, developments in relevant technologies - was insufficient for the present need.
We therefore embarked on an extensive and detailed assessment of exactly where we were, including data from both market and financial analysis culled from a wide range of informants, including customers, potential customers, Group personnel, business consultants, 'City' advisors, and many others with specialist knowledge.
The result was an in-depth reformed strategy, based on the evidence of where we were and the position we want to be." He added: "We have the people, the technology and now the organisation and strategy to move forward in a positive, successful and aggressive way.
Always a power in the UK machine tool industry and the UK engineering economy, the 600 Group will continue to go from strength to strength in the years to come." * About the 600 Group - 600 Group is the largest manufacturer of machine tools in the UK and is one of Europe's largest volume lathe manufacturers.
It is the largest manufacturer of manual/CNC lathes in the world, and is one of the world leaders in industrial laser marking technology.
It is the largest manufacturer of chucks, collets and precision bearings in the UK.
Largest overseas presence of any UK machine tool company, with offices on all continents.
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