TPi January 2010

news business & market

Swagelok appoints new general manager to provide a boost for its Isle of Man facility

Swagelok Company has appointed David Hester as general manager for Swagelok Ltd, its operation on the Isle of Man. In this role, Mr Hester is responsible for daily operations and continuous improvement of the facility. The manufacturing operations at Swagelok Ltd help to complete the company’s piping and regulator product offering for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. From the Isle of Man, Swagelok also serves local niche markets that require quick turn-around on high added value and specialised products.

has been instrumental in aligning and managing quality and process improvement initiatives. In the last three years he has also played a critical role in developing the facility’s current manufacturing model while supporting key customer activity. Prior to joining Swagelok, Mr Hester held engineering leadership positions at a number of companies, including Mars Electronics, Rolls-Royce Aerospace, and Strix Ltd. He is a chartered engineer and member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), and holds a bachelor’s degree with honours in mechanical engineering from University of Portsmouth, UK.

David Hester

Swagelok Company – USA www.swagelok.com

Mr Hester joined Swagelok Ltd as engineering manager in 2006 and

Sertec Group Holdings Ltd has completed the restructuring of its latest acquisition, MRX Automotive, and has renamed the company Sertec Tube and Cylinder Ltd (STC). The new company launched on 1 October 2009. MRX Automotive was part of the Metalrax Group until December 2008 when, as part of the group’s strategy of exiting the high volume, low margin automotive sector, the company was sold to automotive manufacturing expert Sertec. Exhaustive restructuring complete STC manufactures manipulated tube and assemblies and deep drawn cylinders, from mild and stainless steel. This is demonstrated in the production of exhaust tailpipes and bright trim, brake and suspension actuators and air bag propellant canisters – just some of the many parts supplied to the automotive sector. The Sertec group has supplied presswork and welded assemblies to the automotive industry for 47 years and whilst difficult recent times

have presented new challenges, the company’s strong management and the support of bankers Lloyds TSB have allowed it to continue to seize such opportunities to diversify into new manufacturing processes and markets. STC general manager Tony Hill commented on the restructure: “Working under the new ownership of the Sertec Group has given us fresh impetus and has opened up new channels to supply through. We are a leaner operation now and the experienced management team at Sertec has prepared us well for driving the business forward.” The factory is based in Smethwick in the West Midlands, UK, and the reorganisa- tion has seen three sites consolidated into one, the streamlining of the workforce through redundancy and a complete review of the shop floor. Sertec Tube and Cylinder customers currently include exhaust manufacturer Tenneco Walker, Jaguar Land Rover and commercial trailer manufacturer Arvin Meritor.

STC – UK tony.hill@sertec.co.uk www.sertec.co.uk

A Jaguar XKR exhaust with tailpipes manufactured by STC

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Tube Products International January 2010

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