Yamazaki Mazak’s recent annual open house, themed ‘Building For Your Future,’ has garnered significant attention, with the spotlight on the company’s substantial investment in its UK manufacturing facilities. The event, held last week, showcased the increased capacity at the European Manufacturing Plant, emphasizing the company’s ability to offer markedly shorter lead times on key machines.
With the theme reflecting the growth in capacity at the European Manufacturing Plant, the open house attracted over 700 visitors over the four days. A noteworthy portion of attendees consisted of potential new customers, many of whom were making their inaugural visit to Mazak.
Jason Butler, Sales Director for Yamazaki Mazak UK, expressed satisfaction with the robust attendance, stating, “That says to me our message of continued investment in Worcester, which has led to increased production capacity and very short lead times on key machines, is getting through and really resonating with UK manufacturers.”
A pivotal factor in the success of the ‘Building For Your Future’ event was the opportunity for visitors to explore machines in the European Technology Centre, engage with applications engineers to discuss specific machining challenges, witness machines being assembled on the factory floor through a guided tour led by Mazak’s enthusiastic apprentices, and arrange suitable finance packages – all within a single day.
“We wanted to provide a very sales-focused one-stop solution for visitors to enable them to access competitively priced Mazak machines quickly and easily,” explained Jason Butler. The availability of discussions with the preferred finance partner, Finance for Industry, played a crucial role, with strong interest observed in creative finance options like payment holidays and low-start finance.
The event showcased a total of 18 different machines, featuring new UK-designed and built vertical machining centers, 5-axis machines, models from the flagship INTEGREX Multi-Tasking range, turning centers, and laser cutting machines. Additionally, Yamazaki Mazak emphasized its range of automation options and service and support solutions, including the new Mazak iCONNECT package.
Alan Mucklow, Managing Director UK and Ireland Sales and Service Division at Yamazaki Mazak, noted the positive outlook from visitors during the week, reflecting confidence returning to the market. He highlighted the government’s recent announcement of a permanent extension to fully expense capital investment against corporation tax as a welcome move, demonstrating an understanding of manufacturing’s significance to the UK economy. Mucklow expressed excitement about the prospects for 2024 based on the confidence witnessed during the open house in Worcester.