MAKITA MANUFACTURING EUROPE
TELFORD, UK FACTORY PROFILE
Makita is Britain’s number 1 professional power tool manufacturer with the Telford, Shropshire factory building around 1.1 million tools per year. 70% of these tools are exported with 60% going to Europe and 10% going to the rest of the world, the remaining 30% supports Makita UK in servicing its customer base here within the UK.
Telford is one of nine Makita manufacturing plants across the globe that all operate to the highest ISO and Makita’s own quality standards. Makita employs the Kaizen constant improvement quality philosophy, which is for every employee to consider how the individual process for which they are responsible can be improved each day. This exceptionally high quality regime has driven the Makita brand reputation ever forward with the recognition of the reliability and performance of the products.
The Makita Manufacturing Europe Ltd facility is located on a 12.5-acre site at Hortonwood, Telford where production started in May 1991. Since then production capacity growth has been both continuous and rapid. From that initial staff of 50 in the first year the facility has grown to cover 24,071 m2 with a staff of 440.
The Makita workforce is the key element that enables a British manufacturing plant to compete in world terms where unit production costs must enable sales to be achieved in every market in the world. Recruitment and training is the cornerstone of this ability and the 440 employees recognise the exacting quality standards required. Presently there are 20 nationalities represented at our factory in Shropshire.
The tools processed at MME have up to 250 high precision components being manufactured to aerospace standards of quality and material.
Telford invests continually in production machinery to increase both production volumes and quality manufacture. Annually £1 million is invested in new machines whilst a further £1 million is spent on new tooling to make new models for the world market.
MME at Telford makes both cordless and mains powered tools including drill/drivers, angle grinders, jigsaws, plunge saws, belt sanders and circular saws. Clear evidence of the quality of workmanship is the recent introduction of the sophisticated DHR400, the award winning cordless SDS max rotary demolition hammer drill with the Makita patented AVT, anti vibration system, that will drill a 40mm hole in concrete yet has an ultra low tri-axial vibration rating of just 5.0m/s2 to minimise HAV risks for operators.
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The LS1019 slide compound mitre saw is now also made to exacting tolerances at Telford. This globally recognised quality tool has set the standards for mitre saws for many years and is a further accolade for the Telford quality regime. These were previously manufactured in Japan for the European market but the continuous high quality output from Telford has won this expansion of production. Makita products made exclusively by the skilled team at Telford are the SP6000 and cordless DSP600 / DSP601 plunge saws which are particularly popular with flooring and carpentry specialists in Europe. It does not stop there – MME will be supporting the growth in the Makita range of outdoor power equipment for the horticultural market producing hedge trimmers and cordless chainsaws for the expanding garden machinery markets.
Makita has a purchasing philosophy to source components from suppliers in the market place where it sells its products. Therefore European suppliers, who can meet the exacting standards, are welcome. Makita has a strong environmental policy and has won a Golden Apple award for recycling initiatives.