FOCUS ON TOOLING
CNC manufacturing ( wire EDM ). Tooling consultancy .
the factory floor . General manager , Kevin Batty , was himself an engineering apprentice over 40 years ago , and worked for many years as a draftsman for the business . Longestserving staff member , Mike Fee , now manages the EDM department , having been with the business for more than 41 years ,” it continued .
Apprenticeship training
Over the years , Paragon has developed a highly skilled team of precision engineers and toolmakers , making bespoke tools which are used in industries from aerospace and automotive to the construction , medical , food , pharmaceuticals and white goods sectors . The average service of employees at the business is 11 years , over double the national average of just under fourand-a-half years , and many have been with the company for more than 20 years . Around 60 % of its workforce has been trained in-house .
“ We have previously won local and regional awards for the success of our Apprenticeship programme , so to now be shortlisted for a national award for Training and Development is a huge achievement , and one of which we are very proud ,” commented Paragon Toolmaking general manager , Kevin Batty .
The company has won acclaim in recent years for its dedication to apprenticeship schemes , being awarded the Training and Development award at the Hull Live Business Awards 2021 and the Manufacturing Apprenticeship / Training Scheme Award at Insider Media ’ s 2021 ‘ Made in Yorkshire ’ Awards .
Its apprenticeships run over four-years , over which time students learn whilst working in the factory four days per week and spending one day per week on studies , before securing full-time employment . Its apprenticeship scheme is run in conjunction with Humberside Engineering Training Association Ltd ( HETA ).
Continuous investment
With increasing work volumes to manage ,
investment was made in the second half of 2022 into specialist new machinery . Earlier this year , the company also invested in new and experienced toolmakers to add to its workforce , fulfil demand and build on strong momentum .
Paragon Toolmaking has now further invested in new high-tech machinery with £ 450,000 set to speed up production and increase automation when manufacturing precision tools . General manager , Kevin Batty , confirmed that the equipment is essential to ensure the business can continue to meet increasing demand for its expertise . Investment also brings extra production capacity to serve new customers .
Following a successful year in 2022 , the company has invested in a new CNC machine , which has a large three by two metres bed to cope with large die sets and plates and works at twice the speed of machinery previously used by the Paragon team . A new automated 700mm x 1000mm surface grinder will also help increase production speeds , freeing up team members to work on other projects once it is running .
The new investment follows the purchase of a new computer numerical-controlled coordinate measuring machine ( CNC CMM ) last year , as owner Daniel Beaumont ( who bought the business two years ago ) seeks further growth .
“ Daniel has invested heavily in the business since he bought it as he recognises that we have the potential to grow our customer base given the unrivalled expertise we offer ,” said Kevin Batty . “ As a business , we have always prided ourselves on the fact that we enter partnerships with our clients . Between 70 to 80 per cent of our business each year is from repeat customers , from customers requiring a couple of tooling projects per year to others needing more than 400 tooling projects .
“ Our aim now is to keep growing and adding more new customers , as we did last year , and to ensure this we have needed to invest , which Daniel has fully supported . The new equipment will make a big difference to our production abilities , which gives us the extra capacity to take on more orders ,” he explained .
The key to success
However , Batty also highlighted the importance of the company ’ s workforce as key to its success . Having the right staff is essential to the success of any organisation and Paragon Toolmaking is no exception to this rule .
“ The knowledge we have within our business continues to set us apart ,” said Kevin Batty . “ You can have the very best equipment , but our job is about engineering knowledge and expertise to be able to design and manufacture bespoke tooling . This allows clients to make bespoke products which often require challenging manufacturing processes . That is the reason that our clients have remained loyal to us for over 50 years .” n
www . paragontoolmaking . com
102 | ismr . net | ISMR September 2023