North East of England based MH Southern & Co Ltd has been on the investment trail with the purchase of new equipment from solid wood machining technology specialist Weinig.
The project saw MH Southern purchase two new Powermat 1500 moulders and a new Rondamat 960 grinder and template maker. Last year, the decision was made to retire an old planing and moulding Wadkin machine and research its replacement.
James Southern, managing director of this fourth generation family company, visited Weinig’s head office and centre of woodworking technology excellence in Germany with his mill manager Mark Williamson to see the full range of solutions Weinig had to offer.
The Powermat 1500 is the flagship moulder in Weinig’s new generation of Powermats. Ease of operation is its outstanding feature, with the ComfortSet concept from Weinig enabling significant simplifications and results with increased efficiency. Numerous settings can be applied tool-free and scales inside the machine help to determine the correct positions.
Local Weinig representative for the area Simon Bridge supported MH Southern throughout the process and ensured the specification of the new Powermat 1500s were right for the needs of the company. MH Southern secured an £80,000 grant from regional growth fund Let’s Grow North East as part of an overall funding package to support its expansion plans.
Let’s Grow, which is administered by business services company BE Group in partnership with Newcastle accountancy firm UNW LLP and The Journal and Evening Gazette, supports SME growth and job creation in the North East.
“We’re delighted to be supporting the company in achieving its growth plans,” said Andrew Frost, business & investment adviser at BE Group.
“It’s really encouraging to see an independent long established family business investing in new state of the art machinery which will create employment for the local area.”
“The processing of timber has been increasing in importance for the company,” added James Southern.
“While the Wadkin has served us well for many years, the requirements of our merchant and end-user customers have changed. We needed a reliable advanced technology solution which was easy to use and it was clear that the Powermat 1500 would give us that increased flexibility.
“Our first Powermat 1500 was delivered and installed in November. It is already proving its worth, and we have a second Powermat 1500 coming in the New Year.” “Decades of Weinig’s wood processing and technology experience have influenced the development of the new generation of Powermat moulders,” said Malcolm Cuthbertson, MD of Weinig UK.
“This is an exceptional state of the art machine which offers outstanding ease of use and helps maximise productivity.” Available with useful extras, he said the Powermat 1500 could be adapted to a customer’s individual needs and challenging applications, always delivering top quality. “Over the last few years there has been a lack of consistency in business,” Mr Southern continued.
“Through our aims of strengthening service and maintaining close relationships with suppliers and customers, we made the decision to be more fluid, adapt to changes and react quicker, and the machines we have from Weinig help us do just that.
“We have received great support from Weinig and are reassured by working with a well-established and reputable brand with such high standards.”
Founded in 1913, MH Southern specialises in timber importing and sawmilling, giving a high quality, flexible service to all construction and allied industries, with sites in the north east of England at Jarrow, Gateshead and Berwick upon Tweed.
