Triumph for PTG at awards ceremony

Clive Drinkwater, Regional Director for UK Trade & Investment North West (left) and Philomena Chen, Head of Asia Pacific Development for UKTI North West, with Don Whittle of PTG

Precision Technologies Group (PTG) Ltd has been recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony.

The Milnrow firm received the runner up award in the ‘China Business Award for the North West’ category at the Greater China Awards on Friday (3 February).

The winner was Manchester company EDM Ltd, a specialist engineering business providing training and simulation equipment to aerospace, defence, rail and museum customers.

PTG designs, develops, manufactures and commissions high precision machine tools and production systems.

The company exports 95 per cent of its output and its products are used in a wide variety of applications including air conditioners, cooling and refrigeration systems for buildings, ships and aircraft and specialised welding systems for high speed railway carriages and aircraft fuselages.

The company first started developing links in China and Taiwan in the mid 1980s. Since then, the business has developed and maintained strong relationships, resulting in valuable, mutually beneficial partnerships and trading.

PTG have established an office in Shanghai, and have a strong partnership with a distribution and service agency in Taipei, enabling them to provide fast, clear responses to customers in both China and Taiwan. Over the last six years, PTG Holroyd’s sales into China have increased year on year and the volume of enquiries in the markets has grown rapidly.

In 2011 PTG also provided basic Chinese language lessons for customer facing staff, and business in 2012 is already forecast to outperform last year, with three large machine orders already received.

Tony Bannan, Chief Executive Officer at PTG, said: “We are delighted and honoured to have received this award.

“Over the years the Precision Technologies Group has established itself at the forefront of high precision machine tool design, build and supply, whilst at the same time has forged strong partnerships with China.

“This award isn’t just for PTG the company but more importantly it recognises all the work and effort the PTG team has contributed to this on-going success.”

Philomena Chen, Head of Asia Pacific Development for UK Trade & Investment North West said: “The winner, EDM, has shown a consistent commitment to Greater China, and a very well planned and determinedly executed strategy, which has brought great success in a challenging market and sector.

“PTG has also demonstrated a positive and determined approach, building and maintaining strong relationships in the market resulting in valuable, mutually beneficial partnerships and trading. The company are an object lesson in how to turn around a traditional manufacturing business into a successful international operation.”

The Greater China Business Award is organised by UK Trade & Investment North West and sponsored by Finnair, and rewards the company or organisation that has made the most significant contribution to developing business or network links with Greater China, including bi-lateral trade or investment.