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he confirms proudly . “ To manage that , we ’ ve invested around £ 600,000 in tooling and another £ 600,000 in a 1400-tonne injection molding machine . This means that we stepped away from compression molding using dough molding compound ( DMC ) and towards injection molding . It was an essential switch because we ’ re using recycled material rather than DMC products made of glass , styrene and resin ,” he adds .
James reinforces that the costly investments made in machinery and tools enabled the company to scale : “ The increase in the size of the machines allowed for increased production . To make our products sustainable and extend our capability we spent about £ 1.8 million in the last year , and in the next few years AVK has approved a further £ 5.5 million in investments . Historically , the maximum we would have spent is around £ 1.2 million per year , and it was a struggle to spend that much , so it ’ s a step up . From a management perspective I think the biggest thing is the level of autonomy that AVK gives us , enabling enhanced investment and real trust ,” he acknowledges .
Think globlal , act local
The company is set to reach £ 30 million in turnover by the end of the year . Asked what key factors led to Atplas ’ tremendous success this year , James elaborates : “ By improving the product , by developing the range and incorporating sustainability , we ’ ve become much more competitive . The sustainability side is very important to be able to win that business .
“ Customer focus and strong leadership skills across the business are also a must ; getting the right people in the right places and trusting them to do their job right . It sounds quite simplistic , but it makes a difference .”
Talking about its people , James emphasizes the company ’ s focus on employee engagement . “ Pre- 2014 we didn ’ t have a particularly great reputation in the area as an employer ,” he admits . “ So , we started
The company offers an extensive range of boundary boxes for water meters and water fittings and valves
▲ The new Multi Meterbox due to launch in October 24
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