FIRM'S £4M MOVE CREATES JOBS AND GROWTH POTENTIAL

A NORTH Wales manufacturer is celebrating a major transformation after moving to a purpose-built facility — unlocking massive growth potential and creating dozens of new jobs.

- WITH OWEN HUGHES

Continental Diamond Tool (CDT) has successfully relocated to a new 30,000 sq ft factory in Kinmel Bay after what managers described as a “logistical challenge on par with a military operation.”

The operation involved transporting more than 100 metric tonnes of machinery and equipment to the new base that’s nearly three times the size of its old premises less than half a mile away on the Tir Llwyd Industrial Estate.

The move is part of a £4 million expansion by the company which custom engineers ultra-precise industrial tooling for the aerospace, automotive and oil and gas sectors. Blue chip customers include Rolls Royce, Airbus and Tenneco.

Originally established as Consort Precision Diamond in 1984, the company was acquired and rebranded by American-owned Continental Diamond Tool in 2018.

Production manager Justin Hughes, whose father, Peter, was a founding member of the business, said the move marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the company.

“There is a new ambition along with the investment,” said Justin, who has worked at CDT for 18 years.

“The future is bright.”

The relocation was carried out with precise planning to minimise disruption, with some production lines back in operation in less than a week.

“In three days they had transported pretty much all the machinery out of the old factory into the new one,” he said.