This engineering colossus was established in 1975 by a 21-year-old, fresh-faced Tony Langley. It now serves 15 different industry sectors, including aerospace, banking and finance, broadcasting and telecommunications and cement industries. It employs 2,500 people and had sales of £364m last year. Its product range stretches from the grinding of plaster of Paris for hospital plaster casts, to equipment running inside Britain’s Trident nuclear submarines. Based in Nottinghamshire, there are also operating divisions in Germany and France. Revenues and profits have increased year on year since 2000, with compound growth now at 49 per cent. Operating profit was £41.9m. Still entirely privately owned by Langley, who is chairman and CEO, the group is debt free.
