Sales of new electroplated grinding products launched by a precision engineering company in North Wales have rocketed by 960 per cent.<\/p>\n
Continental Diamond Tool (CDT) in Kinmel Bay \u2013 which supplies blue chip companies like Rolls Royce and Tenneco \u2013 is confident success of the electroplated line will lead to \u201cconsiderable growth\u201d over the next three years.<\/p>\n
The niche company is best known for designing and making diamond-encrusted rotary dressers, with tolerances down to 1,000th<\/sup> of a millimetre in terms of accuracy.<\/p>\n The team in Kinmel Bay began making electroplated grinding wheels and other electroplated products in a small way in 2023.<\/p>\n By last summer, soaring demand led the company to invest \u00a3250,000 in new, cutting-edge equipment.<\/p>\n Conwy County Borough Council played a key role by securing \u00a3100,000 in funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for CDT.<\/p>\n Production capacity will be increasing again later this year when the American-owned company moves to a new production site less than half a mile away on the Tir Llwyd Industrial Estate.<\/p>\n At 30,000 sq ft, the new building is three times the size of CDT\u2019s current home and will see the workforce doubling from 40 to 80 over the next few years.<\/p>\n The company expects electroplated products to outsell rotary dressers within a few years as orders continue to increase.<\/p>\n The surge in demand has already created two new full-time jobs, with recruitment underway for two more positions.<\/p>\n Finance Manager Michaela Lawton said: \u201cWe always had high hopes for the electroplated products, but no one really expected to hit 960 per cent growth year on year from when we launched the new line.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that we have been able to buy this new equipment means we can respond to the demand which is fantastic.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been able to adapt quickly and increase our capacity. The funding that came via Conwy County Borough Council helped massively. We\u2019re incredibly grateful they facilitated this grant.<\/p>\n \u201cWe export 50 per cent of our turnover, with electroplated grinding wheel deliveries reaching as far as Europe, the Middle East, Thailand, and Indonesia.<\/p>\n \u201cGoing forward we see enormous potential for this product line. We expect our electroplated grinding products to overtake our Rotary dressers in sales in two to three years.<\/p>\n \u201cThe interest is there, and we can respond to that. The market is huge, and we are well-placed to take a big share.<\/p>\n \u201cOur parent company in America has put rocket boosters under CDT with their investment in technology and talent. The fact that we\u2019re moving to the new premises makes all this possible\u2014 it\u2019s going to escalate our growth on a huge scale.<\/p>\n \u201cThe leadership at CDT is very ambitious, and we have the perfect synergy and a great working relationship,\u201d Michaela remarked. \u201cThe entire team is focused on growing our capacity to deliver the best superabrasive solutions for advanced manufacturing across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Cllr Nigel Smith, Conwy County Borough Council\u2019s cabinet member for Sustainable Economy, who is one of three councillors who represent Kinmel Bay on the authority, said: \u201cHaving a company of this calibre in Conwy, particularly in my own town of Kinmel Bay is fantastic.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really pleased that the funding we\u2019ve been able to source for the company from the Shared Prosperity Fund has enabled them to buy this new equipment and grow the company so spectacularly, with the opportunity for 40 further jobs.<\/p>\n \u201cAmong the recruits will be apprentices, so there will be opportunities for our young people to find high skill, well paid jobs on their doorstep. It\u2019s brilliant.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a real feather in Conwy\u2019s cap that we have a company that supplies high-end, blue-chip companies like Rolls Royce, Tenneco and others across the world.<\/p>\n \u201cCDT\u2019s continued investment is a big vote of confidence in Kinmel Bay and Conwy and the dedicated workforce we have in the local area.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are going to grow the economy here in Conwy and in Wales generally. It\u2019s something we need to be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n Equally delighted is Justin Hughes, CDT\u2019s production manager, who worked for the original company before it became part of Indiana-based Continental Diamond Tool Corporation six years ago.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cSeeing those orders coming in gives you a real buzz and where we are going to be in 12 months is phenomenal. It\u2019s very exciting.<\/p>\n \u201cThe potential is huge and the more people we can give jobs to, the better. These are jobs that are at a premium in an area like Conwy.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons we\u2019ve done our best to keep things as local as we can \u2013 a lot of the staff can walk or cycle to work.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have an experienced and highly skilled team here in Kinmel Bay and in the United States, which has made the transition to electroplated grinding products a lot easier.<\/p>\n \u201cThe partnership with our American owners has been a seamless blend of two well-matched teams with complementary skills.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have taken as much knowledge from us as we have taken from them. They are very supportive, and we get lots of transatlantic cooperation.<\/p>\n \u201cI am incredibly excited for the future here. It\u2019s very busy, there\u2019s lots of work to do and I like it like that, and all our employees are equally excited.\u201d<\/p>\n