New Chapter for HTA as it joins WEC Group Ltd

WEC Group, one of the UK's largest engineering and fabrication companies, has completed a deal which sees HTA Group join its growing family of businesses.

The multi-million pound partnership deal sees the Lancashire-headquartered WEC Group and HTA continue to dominate the UK's laser cutting and fabrication sector.

HTA, which has a 130-strong workforce and a £10 million annual turnover, joins WEC Group to create a business with 800 employees and a projected £75 million turnover. HTA Managing Director Adam Thomas is working within the expanded business on a consultancy basis while his brother Philip remains a key member of the HTA staff.

Wayne Wild, commercial director of the family-owned WEC Group, said: "This is an exciting new chapter for HTA Group, its workforce and its present and future customers. The expanded group makes us one of the largest laser cutting and fabrication operations in the UK. It means we can offer more services and skills to our customers."

The new deal means that the expanded WEC Group will have 23 laser cutting machines working across all its operations, including two tube machines that will allow HTA to offer 3D laser cutting to its customers for the first time.

In the past 12 months, WEC Group has invested around £11 million in new machinery and workspace, including £7 million on a new 300,000 sq ft factory in South Yorkshire.

WEC’s robotic 7.2m x 640 tonne press also increases HTA's current capacity and adds waterjet and plasma cutting to the Midlands operation. On top of that HTA adds CNC Punching to WEC Group's overall capabilities and allows it to offer that function to its existing and future customer base.

Adam Thomas, managing director of HTA Group, is excited for the future and the opportunities that now exist. He said: "The synergy with WEC Group is very strong and this deal makes both businesses much stronger entities. It really enhances our capabilities and capacity and that is a major advantage to all our customers."

WEC Group has a 35-year track record in investment and job creation. The company, formed in 1979, has an extensive customer list across a wide range of industries including rail, automotive, nuclear, offshore oil and gas and aerospace, has also purchased a six-acre site at the Walker Business Park in Blackburn for future expansion.