News: MTL sees exports double to over £7m
Manufacturing specialist, MTL Group, has almost doubled its export sales to £7.3m since moving to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Rotherham last year.
MTL Group is one of Europe's fastest growing project manufacturing specialists in the metal sector and is a global supplier of secondary steelwork.
It works with a global blue-chip customer base in the defence, construction equipment, rail and off-shore wind energy sectors.
Founded in 1995, MTL Group processes around 30,000 tonnes of material annually and provides a range of services from laser cutting and machining to press braking and surface treatment. They underwent a management buyout in 2006 and has doubled its turnover in the last five years to £50m.
The company moved into a £5m, 300,00sq ft state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Brinsworth last year and has invested £1m in new machinery.
The investment has enabled MTL Group to become a specialist in volume manufacturing, enabling it to make a vigorous move into exports which have risen from less than 1% of the group's turnover to 22% with products now being shipped around the world to mainland Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and India. The company has also seized the opportunity to move into the flourishing offshore wind energy market.
David O’Hara, group finance director at MTL Group, said: "We have established a worldwide reputation as a specialist processor with the capability to cut, bend, machine and fabricate steel to customers’ specific requirements. This expertise is increasingly being sought by overseas customers with exports growing to almost a quarter of our turnover.
"Last year, we were awarded our largest ever export to supply 97 boat landing systems to a leading European foundations manufacturer, for a German offshore wind farm. Since then, our export success in the offshore wind market has continued as we have secured several multimillion pound export orders to supply boat landings for the Borkum West and Meerwind offshore wind farms in the North Sea."
MTL's Rotherham facility boasts the largest laser in the UK and a 640-tonne robotic press, which is the biggest of its kind anywhere in the world.
A new high definition bevel plasma cutter and a robotic tube cutter are also in place, both specially designed to support the growth in orders from the offshore renewable energy sector.
David continued: "Having made a significant investment in larger, more efficient manufacturing facilities and also in training our workforce to the highest level of competency, we have been able to meet this demand from overseas and also to explore new sectors such as offshore wind farms. As an expanding business in an expanding sector, we have a very positive outlook and plan to further develop our export business with significant work from Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
"South Yorkshire has been a great base from which to build our global business, benefitting from a highly skilled workforce, a solid base of sub contractors and good support from Rotherham's inward development organisation."
Peter Edwards, director at Grant Thornton in Sheffield, the firm's auditors and advisers, added: "It's fantastic to see businesses like MTL Group keeping South Yorkshire's manufacturing expertise on the world map. It's a great example of a forward-looking British firm that has not only exploited opportunities in new markets by establishing a successful export business, but has also been swift-footed and targeted emerging sectors such as the fast-growing offshore renewables industry."
MTL Group website
Grant Thornton website
Images: MTL Group / Grant Thornton
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MTL Group is one of Europe's fastest growing project manufacturing specialists in the metal sector and is a global supplier of secondary steelwork.
It works with a global blue-chip customer base in the defence, construction equipment, rail and off-shore wind energy sectors.
Founded in 1995, MTL Group processes around 30,000 tonnes of material annually and provides a range of services from laser cutting and machining to press braking and surface treatment. They underwent a management buyout in 2006 and has doubled its turnover in the last five years to £50m.
The company moved into a £5m, 300,00sq ft state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Brinsworth last year and has invested £1m in new machinery.
The investment has enabled MTL Group to become a specialist in volume manufacturing, enabling it to make a vigorous move into exports which have risen from less than 1% of the group's turnover to 22% with products now being shipped around the world to mainland Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and India. The company has also seized the opportunity to move into the flourishing offshore wind energy market.
David O’Hara, group finance director at MTL Group, said: "We have established a worldwide reputation as a specialist processor with the capability to cut, bend, machine and fabricate steel to customers’ specific requirements. This expertise is increasingly being sought by overseas customers with exports growing to almost a quarter of our turnover.
"Last year, we were awarded our largest ever export to supply 97 boat landing systems to a leading European foundations manufacturer, for a German offshore wind farm. Since then, our export success in the offshore wind market has continued as we have secured several multimillion pound export orders to supply boat landings for the Borkum West and Meerwind offshore wind farms in the North Sea."
A new high definition bevel plasma cutter and a robotic tube cutter are also in place, both specially designed to support the growth in orders from the offshore renewable energy sector.
David continued: "Having made a significant investment in larger, more efficient manufacturing facilities and also in training our workforce to the highest level of competency, we have been able to meet this demand from overseas and also to explore new sectors such as offshore wind farms. As an expanding business in an expanding sector, we have a very positive outlook and plan to further develop our export business with significant work from Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
"South Yorkshire has been a great base from which to build our global business, benefitting from a highly skilled workforce, a solid base of sub contractors and good support from Rotherham's inward development organisation."
Peter Edwards, director at Grant Thornton in Sheffield, the firm's auditors and advisers, added: "It's fantastic to see businesses like MTL Group keeping South Yorkshire's manufacturing expertise on the world map. It's a great example of a forward-looking British firm that has not only exploited opportunities in new markets by establishing a successful export business, but has also been swift-footed and targeted emerging sectors such as the fast-growing offshore renewables industry."
MTL Group website
Grant Thornton website
Images: MTL Group / Grant Thornton
