MGS Technical Plastics Celebrates 10 Years of Manufacturing Excellence and Looks Forward to a Bright Future

In 2013, MGS Technical Plastics upgraded from their previous premises in Bolton to their current location in Blackburn. Since the move, they have continuously invested in their facility, including an extension that expanded the warehouse and offices.

The facility is home to its manufacturing and assembly facility with 18 injection moulding machines, an onsite tool room, and offices. The company has grown to 60 employees from operators, apprentices, engineers and directors.

The company’s true success comes from the team at MGS, a team that is determined, united, and driven. MGS has been committed to their local community, from raising funds for local causes to taking on community challenges and volunteering.

Andy Greenwood, Production Team Leader, says: “Since being in the new facility, it is a better working environment and a great place to show customers around”.

Over the last 6 years, 75% of machinery has been replaced. Significant investments include, in 2018, expanding their service offering by purchasing a 900T Krauss Maffei Machine, with further development made in adding two 50T electric Demag machines in 2022.

Other notable investments included solar panels and LED Lighting to improve the energy usage at their facility, a Faro Arm for scanning components in the quality department and a central feed system for manufacturing.

The facility has been transformed with purpose-built racking for the warehouse and assembly workstation for an efficient working environment.

They have invested in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System to integrate their departments fully. Alongside this, they have invested in Thingtrax, a machine monitoring system that is connected to their current ERP System, which provides complete transparency to their manufacturing efficiencies.

The past five years have also seen the growth of automotive customers for MGS. They have been IATF 16949:2016, the automotive standard and ISO 9001:2015 certified since 2018 and continue to maintain their standard.

Over those 10 years, as the company has grown, there have been many management changes – John Sturgess, their long-serving Managing Director, is Chairman, and Neil Garrity is now Managing Director.

In 2018, MGS Technical Plastics brought Mark Preston and Judson Smythe to the board as Sale Director and Technical Director, respectively. Two new appointments to the management team in Chloe Maine, Sales Manager, and Margaret Johnson, Finance Controller.

Neil Garrity, Managing Director, says: “We are a different company to when we first moved to our Blackburn location. We have made the investment in our machines and systems and ensure we are continuously training our employees.”

“In another ten years, we can look back and see how far we have come from 2023. There are many exciting times ahead; we are celebrating 50 years of manufacturing next year. A great milestone for our company”.

As of April 2023, the company opened a new warehouse shipping location, allowing it to expand its warehouse facility and manufacturing area.

With further investment in their assembly department, an additional pad printer driven by demand from new projects, and three new electric injection moulding machines in their manufacturing department.