A precision engineering company has pledged to keep backing the North Wales economy after spending £1 million with local contractors and suppliers.
Six months after the official opening of its new factory in Kinmel Bay, Continental Diamond Tool says the move has already transformed its operations.
The plant is three times the size of its former premises nearby and the arrival of 30 additional electro-plating tanks – on top of the 16 already in use – marks the first step in a much larger roll-out over the next two years.
It’s planned to install a total of 200 tanks, increasing electro-plating capacity by 400% at a cost of around £300,000.
According to Production Manager Justin Hughes, the expansion is great news for local contractors and suppliers.
He said: “We have just taken delivery of around 30 electro-plating tanks of various sizes from the States, including one large mother tank along with some other electro-plating equipment.
“There will be three works stations made up of two sections with those parts being made locally in Rhyl.
“A lot of the tanks we already have here and the rest of the tanks will be manufactured in Wrexham, with room for a total of 200 tanks, possibly more.
“The new equipment that’s just arrived doubles our capacity. Once all the tanks are installed, we will be effectively four times the size in two years’ time.
“But the financial opportunity is even more substantial because it also increases our capacity for high value, high demand products.
“We have kept much of our spending within North Wales, so this investment directly benefits local businesses. For example our electrical contractor is based 200 metres away on the same industrial estate.
“It’s one of the biggest contracts they’ve ever had and consequently they are doing a really good job in looking after us in the same way we look after our customers.
“I am keen to keep as much money, particularly in this part of North Wales, because I am from this area and I still live here. It means a lot to me.
“Over the past year CDT has spent in excess of £1 million within North Wales.
“Meanwhile, the majority of our customers are coming from abroad so we are bringing business activity and job opportunities to the area. The money we’re generating and investing is distributed throughout North Wales. It creates a virtuous circle.
“We want our success to radiate out into the local community and help foster economic prosperity in North Wales.
“The reason we moved to a larger factory so close to the old one is that it enabled us to keep our local, highly skilled workforce. That experience is vital so we held out for the right local property.”
All of this is part of a £4 million expansion, which will see the workforce double to around 80 over the next few years.
The growth is being funded by the firm’s American owners, Indiana-based Continental Diamond Tool, who acquired and rebranded the company in Kinmel Bay in 2018.
According to company leaders, the expansion is needed to keep up with the flood of orders for its ultra-precision tools, used in industries ranging from aerospace and automotive to medical and steel manufacturing.
The Kinmel Bay site only started electro-plating grinding wheels within the past 18 months but say these products are on course to become their biggest seller.
On a visit from America, Jordan Donnelly, Vice President of Plated Products Division, said: “The electro-plating product line here has the potential to keep growing and become the number one product offering in Kinmel Bay.
“The growth in demand has been phenomenal. With worldwide tariffs, material supply issues, and rare earth shortages, customers are re-evaluating their processes. We’re seeing shifts in areas like carbide tooling.
“The price of diamonds also plays a factor. We’re looking at the most efficient ways to produce our tools, refining the technology to stay competitive.
“Grinding and superabrasive tooling is everywhere. It’s in all the things we use and see, everything from aerospace to power generation and medical components.
“Superabrasives play a role in nearly every manufacturing process. Whether it’s the automobile you drive or the composite doors in your home, a lot of the products we use daily rely on diamond electro-plated tools.
“Materials are changing too. As industries make new materials with greater strength and durability, they’re also becoming harder to machine. That’s where we come in. We customize our grinding wheels to handle those new challenges.
“Demand for superabrasive products is growing exponentially. We currently only have a small share of it in the UK and Europe so there is a lot of room for us to grow.
“We’re doubling the capacity here with the tanks that have just arrived and we’ll begin installing them soon.
“It’s an extremely exciting development for this site because it will enable us to make a highly diverse range of tool – we manufacture everything from small grinding mandrels to large-diameter grinding wheel used to make aerospace engine components, combustion engines parts, brakes, power generation, medical devices, ceramics and even prosthetic limbs.
“Customers come to us for tools to produce all sorts of things—from heart stents to turbine blades and everything in between.
“Everyone here is up for the challenge. The employees have a great work ethic and shared values with the team in the States. There’s a real drive, willingness to learn, and eagerness to grow.”
