A Plymouth robotics firm has been acquired by a specialist engineering services company which invests in and works with manufacturers to optimise operations and broaden markets,
Belgrave and Powell Ltd, which is based in Tamworth and Preston, has snapped up 100% of the shares of Autotech Robotics Ltd based in the Darklake View industrial estate in the north of Plymouth.
The new acquisition will form part of Belgrave and Powell’s Machine Technology Group (MTG) which comprises some of the leading UK specialists in high-quality machine tool products, robotics and automation covering a wide variety of applications for rail, aerospace, gas turbine, oil and gas, energy and automotive sectors.
The Autotech Robotics acquisition is complrmentary to MTG’s recently announced robotics and automation platform and complements its other group businesses to provide services not only across the UK but also internationally in its SME and larger corporate engineering clients.
Autotech Robotics was established in 1989 and has been a high-quality provider and integrator of robotic systems across a wide of sectors in the automotive, aerospace, marine and metal processing industries.
Led by founder and managing director Graham Gilbert the business comprises some of the UK’s leading experts in robotic applications and process knowledge.
It offers a wide range of cost-effective automated, turn-key manufacturing systems, new and reconditioned, with some of the systems modular in concept, allowing the company to design, integrate and commission packages which are tailor-made to satisfy individual customer requirements.
In addition to designing and manufacturing efficient and flexible work-presentation systems, the company also offers an extensive choice of new, reconditioned and refurbished robots and process equipment.
Autotech Robotics has a customer base throughout the UK and overseas with systems in places as diverse as Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, India, Libya, Malta, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, and the USA. Its most recent statement of its financial position revealed it had net assets of £483,084 in 2019.
Paul Ward, a partner in Belgrave and Powell, will lead the company as part of Belgrave and Powell’s MTG and said: “As a group we are really pleased with the acquisition as the founder Graham has built a great team and reputation able to provide specialised applications know how and service capability for integration of robotics.
“Coupled with our other machine tool, engineering and automation specialists, the MTG now has sizeable scale and capability across a range of robotic and automation platforms.
“Our focus will be on automated cells for machine loading, vision systems, robotic welding, cutting, forming, painting and handling principally for the metal working industries initially but followed with other sector growth.“
Belgrave and Powell is a UK based specialist engineering services group with activities including specialist machine tool services, tooling manufacture and distribution operating from facilities in Preston, Tamworth and Plymouth.
Businesses in the group include Weld UK, Dean Smith and Grace, GAC Rail, Techni-grind, Maydown International, Addison Forming Technologies and now Autotech Robotics.
