Following its recent expansion, Newcastle based electro-mechanical engineering specialist Houghton International has welcomed 10 new recruits to the team in order to keep up with demand and support further growth.
Bolstering the business in a number of key areas, the new recruits include three new apprentices, experienced fitters, additional QSE and HR support and a number of administration positions. The company has grown its workforce by 20% in the past year, taking staffing numbers above 100 for the first time.
Michael Mitten, CEO of Houghton International, commented: “As the business grows it is vital that we have the right mix of experienced operational and support staff to ensure that we continue to deliver the high quality, specialist services our customers expect from us. It’s equally vital that we continue to invest in training and apprentices to develop the skills the business needs for the future and its continued growth.
“The next stage in our strategy is to grow our sales team nationally and internationally to reach a wider market with our range of specialist high voltage coils, electro-mechanical repair and condition monitoring services. We are currently recruiting for sales representatives nationally as well as North America, which will be followed by European, Australian and Asian sales representatives as part of our multi-sector international growth strategy in line with Project 2020.”
Houghton International recently expanded into a fourth operational site, its large machine repair shop, following a multimillion £ contract win with Great Western Railway and has secured traction motor maintenance contracts in the Rail sector with guaranteed volumes through to 2021. Its High Voltage coil division currently exports to approximately 25 countries globally, recently securing new orders from Australia and Sri Lanka.
Pamela Lamming, newly appointed HR manager, added: “Now is a really exciting time to be joining Houghton International, the business has a clear strategy to grow and is investing in people, machinery and facilities to help achieve this.
“With a strong order book and innovative new products in the pipeline, I’m confident that I am going to be kept busy over the coming months supporting the new recruits and developing our multi skilled workforce to keep up with future demand.”
Alongside investing in people resources, Houghton International has also invested over £300k in plant and machinery over the past year to improve performance and keep up with demand. This includes new testing equipment, winding kit and energy-efficient ovens to continue to improve the range of services it offers.
Founded in 1984, Houghton International has expanded over the last 30 years into a multi-million pound, multinational business. The company has grown from originally serving one customer to now working with over 200 customers globally.
Specialising in innovation in the repair, maintenance and life extension of rotating electrical machines, Houghton International operates through three divisions; Rail, Electro Mechanical Services and High Voltage Coils.
For more information on Houghton International and the range of services it offers please visit: www.houghton-international.com
