Benefits of being an NAA member: Mini Gears grows from £7.5 million to £10 million with help from the NAA
Paul Darwent, owner of Mini Gears, gives us an insight into how joining the NAA over two years ago has helped the company move forward
Mini Gears is best known for producing low to medium volumes of gear transmission components, and more recently, due to a large investment in various items of CNC machinery, the manufacture of very high precision machined parts.
Now employing over 80 people at its Stockport manufacturing site, the company has been able to secure employment for its long-standing team and add many new additional positions as it moves further upmarket.
Three years ago turnover was hovering around the £7.5 million mark but with new methods, including lean manufacturing encouraged and part-funded by the NAA, the company is expected to turnover almost £10 million this year.
Although Mini Gears is limited to supplying any large batch volume gears into the industry because most manufacturers have their own factories, the company has specialised in the low to medium volume niche market, particularly for high performance cars.
The company is now also offering precision machined parts which is proving very successful.
Paul Darwent says “One of the biggest benefits for us in joining the NAA has been the regular networking meetings and factory visits. We have picked up so many new ideas as well as hosting one of the events at our factory last year ourselves. There are very few organisations that are as friendly and as helpful to be involved with as the NAA.”
