Established in 1995, TWP Manufacturing Group of Tipton provides toolmaking, metal
pressings and plastic injection moulding services. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the
company introduced proprietary products to improve resilience, while continuing to
outsource many turned parts.
That changed in 2020 with the purchase of a pre-owned Citizen Cincom sliding-head lathe.
The success of this first Citizen machine prompted a strategic shift towards insourcing, and
five years on the company operates 10 pre-owned Citizen Cincom lathes. As a result, all
previously subcontracted turn-milling work has been brought in-house, while a subcontract
turning division has been established that now accounts for 30% of annual turnover.
Over the same period, turnover has increased from £2.5m to £4.2m, while headcount has
reduced by 20% to 28 employees, more than doubling revenue per person. According to
joint owner Phil Stanley, Citizen Machinery UK has supported every stage of the journey,
from initial installation through to refurbishment and alignment of subsequent machines.
Ongoing investment in Citizen Cincom lathes of varying capacities has enabled TWP to
match jobs to machine capability, reduce lead times and adopt just-in-time manufacturing.
The addition of a Citizen Miyano fixed-head lathe has further expanded capacity, allowing
components up to 64 mm diameter to be machined in a single set up.
Although pre-owned, the Citizen lathes continue to deliver high levels of accuracy, with TWP
routinely achieving tight tolerances and long tool life. Today, the company machines around
800,000 components annually on its Citizen machines, primarily in mild and stainless steel,
underlining the productivity and reliability of the brand.
More information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk