One of the UK’s leading manufacturing outsourcing specialists has appointed a new CEO to lead its global expansion.
PP Control & Automation (PP C&A), which works with many of the world’s leading machinery builders, has named Pinaki Banerjee as Chief Executive Officer, with well-known industrial leader Tony Hague stepping down to pursue a purely commercial and customer-focused role within the business.
The appointment is part of the firm’s long-term succession plan and comes at a crucial time in its growth, with the possibility of increasing its manufacturing footprint into Central Europe and North America through a series of acquisitions.
This will provide the Ardenton Capital-backed manufacturer with the potential to double its revenue and exceed £70m through a combination of organic and inorganic growth between now and 2027.
“PP Control & Automation is at an exciting stage of its development. Under the excellent leadership of Tony, the firm has become a world class manufacturing specialist, working with some of the biggest global machinery builders,” explained Pinaki, who previously led a 900-strong team as CEO of the Central Eastern Europe region of Rubix.
“The foundations are set and our reputation in the UK and parts of North America is strong. Our opportunity now is to take this strategic manufacturing service offer to new markets and Central Europe is definitely the first territory in our sights.”
He continued: “In order to gain market share there, you have to boost your own manufacturing footprint, and we believe the best way to do this is through acquisition. If we can find the right domestic company that shares our values and brings a new engineering discipline into the mix, then that would be utopia. This isn’t a pipedream; this is the target within the first twelve months.
“That’s why my skills in M&A activity and global operations - honed through many decades and across different markets - will be crucial.”
Tony Hague commented: “After 24 years at the helm it was time for a new pair of eyes to take the company to the next stage, and I’m extremely excited to see what Pinaki can bring to PP C&A. In short, it’s a massive coup for us to attract someone of his international experience.
“I’m going to remain in the business, focusing on key accounts and helping to drive commercial activity. My heart will always be here, so it was the sensible decision and frees me up to explore more volunteering and trustee roles, which I’m keen to do.”
Photo: Pinaki Banerjee and Tony Hague