A North Wales manufacturer is celebrating a major transformation after moving to a purpose-built facility — unlocking massive growth potential and creating dozens of new jobs.
Continental Diamond Tool (CDT), has successfully relocated to a new 30,000 sq ft factory in Kinmel Bay after what managers described as a “logistical challenge on par with a military operation.”
The operation involved transporting more than 100 metric tonnes of machinery and equipment to the new base that’s nearly three times the size of its old premises less than half a mile away on the Tir Llwyd Industrial Estate.
The move is part of a £4 million expansion by the company which custom engineers ultra-precise industrial tooling for the aerospace, automotive and oil and gas sectors. Blue chip customers include Rolls Royce, Airbus and Tenneco.
Originally established as Consort Precision Diamond in 1984, the company was acquired and rebranded by American-owned Continental Diamond Tool in 2018.
Production Manager Justin Hughes, whose father, Peter, was a founding member of the business, said the move marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the company.
“There is a new ambition along with the investment,” said Justin, who has worked at CDT for 18 years. “The future is bright.”
The relocation was carried out with precise planning to minimise disruption, with some production lines back in operation in less than a week.
“In three days they had transported pretty much all the machinery out of the old factory into the new one,” he said. “Production was down for a maximum of two weeks for certain products, but for others the down time was less than a week.”
The company brought in help from key suppliers, including Mills CNC, and received support from CDT’s American owners, who have overseen multiple factory expansions in the United States.
“We had help from one of our American colleagues, facility manager Mike Moehring, who even brought forward his exit flight because it had gone so smoothly,” said Justin.
“This isn’t the company’s first rodeo. They’ve helped us get things right the first time — and that’s been absolutely invaluable.”
With 46 staff currently on site, the company now plans to grow the workforce to around 80 employees over the next two years, with a major recruitment and investment push underway — particularly in the electro-plating department.
“We could only fit 14 electro-plating tanks in our old premises,” Justin explained. “Here we can accommodate up to 200. It’s the perfect environment – less humid, well-ventilated, and much more comfortable for staff.”
CDT is investing £500,000 in new equipment, and the improved capacity is already paying off.
International orders are growing and the company now has the ability to manufacture five times as many large parts per day and thousands of small parts per week, many destined for the oil and gas industry.
“We used to have to turn away orders because we just didn’t have the capacity,” said Justin. “Now we can meet that demand — and electro-plated products are on course to become the biggest part of our business.”
The company is also expanding into Poland, which Justin describes as a “manufacturing powerhouse.”
The new facility has been designed with staff welfare in mind, with a new canteen and bright, modern working conditions aimed at both retaining current staff and attracting new recruits.
“It feels like we’ve moved out of the dark ages into the 21st century,” he added. “We’ve always been capable — now we have the tools and the space to reach our full potential.”
Among the longest-serving staff is Joe Bowles, 35, from Rhyl, who began his career as an apprentice and is now CDT’s Grinding Supervisor.
“The company has grown bigger but it still feels like a family,” said Joe. “The American owners have put real money into the business and upgraded our machines – it’s a huge vote of confidence in the Kinmel Bay operation.”
Joe, a third-generation engineer, takes pride in the firm’s commitment to quality.
“Everything is inspected two or three times. Our tolerances are normally within 10 microns – a red blood cell is five microns – and sometimes we work to just a single micron. That’s how precise we are.”
For newer members of the team, the relocation was seamless. Nori Aknai, 38, originally from Hungary and now living in Rhyl, joined CDT three months ago as a finance assistant.
“I really do like it here,” she said. “The move was huge but it went incredibly smoothly. Literally, we were working in the old place one day and the following morning we came here and everything was working. The fact that it’s a growing company means it’s an exciting place to work.”
Now firmly settled in their new home, CDT is looking to the future with optimism.
“I’m very proud of what we have achieved,” said Justin. “We’ve laid the foundations to do something really special here in Kinmel Bay.”
