自荐文章
〖摘要：〗
(Chapter 16 AB Machine Tools)
AB MACHINE TOOLS
Keith Moreton (modified 2002)
© Elsevier
Acknowledgements and Permissions
This case is published with the permission of AB Marwin Ltd. It is intended as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of management situations. Furthermore AB Marwin Ltd and the authors would like to emphasise that this case was researched in 1996. Since then the products referred to in the case have been superseded by new designs and that actions taken by AB machine tools in 1996 should not be inferred to AB Marwin Ltd. Trade names in the case remain the intellectual property of AB Marwin Ltd.
Company Background
Until 1993 Asquith and Butler were distinct and separate machine tool manufacturers that were only one mile apart in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Asquith was founded by William Asquith in 1865. They initially manufactured all kinds of machine tools and the development of the company was closely correlated with the woollen and textile industry which experienced rapid growth from the mid-nineteenth century to the early 1950s.
In the early twentieth century the company began to concentrate on the design and manufacture of radial drilling machines for general purpose manufacturers and horizontal ram type borers for heavy industrial companies. By the mid-1960s the company had become the Asquith Corporation. It had become a machine tool conglomerate with a variety of machine tool manufacturing interests. At this time the Asquith Corporation was not performing particularly well and it was bought out by Staveley Industries, whose primary activity was chemicals.
In the early 1970s Staveley Industries began to reorganise their machine tool portfolio. Poor performing companies were closed down, new management teams were introduced and new finance became available for research and development of new products. Asquith at Halifax streamlined the production of radial drill products which were moving into the decline phase of their product life cycle, developing a new range of ram type boring machines equipped with the most modern computer numerical control systems (CNC). By 1979 they had developed a new range of vertical and horizontal multi-purpose boring, milling, drilling and CNC tapping machines for lighter engineering applications. In 1980 Staveley Industries made a strategic decision to divest its machine tool portfolio - although Asquith had become a profitable operation the industry was extremely cyclical.
The management of Asquith bought the company out in 1981 with the aid of venture capital and the company was registered as Asquith (1981) Ltd. The new company did not buy the facilities for manufacturing the heavy duty ram borers, but concentrated on the development, marketing and manufacturing of an extended but modular range of vertical and horizontal machines. Asquith (1981) had to down-size the workforce from about 400 to approximately 130. The company was then acquired by Marbaix Lapointe Ltd in 1992.
Butler was founded by James Ryder Butler in 1868, three years after Asquith. J R Butler manufactured most types of machine tool, and like Asquith, from 1918 to 1959 the Butler company became more specialised through the development and marketing of a niche range of planing, shaping, slotting and plano-milling machines (a combination of planing machine and milling machine). In the 1970s the company was acquired by the B Elliott Group and the company name changed to Butler Newall Ltd. During the late 1970s the company briefly diversified into lathe manufacturing, though this was discontinued in 1986 due to the fierce competition from other foreign manufacturers, particularly the Japanese.
In 1991 the company began to suffer with the onset of a new recession and in 1993 the Butler Newall milling division (and its foreign subsidiaries) was acquired by Marbaix Lapointe Ltd.
Following this double acquisition, the senior management of Marbaix Lapointe undertook an in-depth review of the resources at the two company sites and in 1994 both companies were consolidated into the Butler site. It was at this point that the two company names were merged becoming ASQUITH-BUTLER or AB, a new division of Marbaix Lapointe Ltd.
The new division had a turnover in 1996 of approximately £15 million (not including £2 million in sales for machine tool spare parts) and had a headcount of approximately 120 employees.
Machine Tools
Machin
继续阅读其余的 40011 字
(Chapter 16 AB Machine Tools)
AB MACHINE TOOLS
Keith Moreton (modified 2002)
© Elsevier
Acknowledgements and Permissions
This case is published with the permission of AB Marwin Ltd. It is intended as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of management situations. Furthermore AB Marwin Ltd and the authors would like to emphasise that this case was researched in 1996. Since then the products referred to in the case have been superseded by new designs and that actions taken by AB machine tools in 1996 should not be inferred to AB Marwin Ltd. Trade names in the case remain the intellectual property of AB Marwin Ltd.
Company Background
Until 1993 Asquith and Butler were distinct and separate machine tool manufacturers that were only one mile apart in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Asquith was founded by William Asquith in 1865. They initially manufactured all kinds of machine tools and the development of the company was closely correlated with the woollen and textile industry which experienced rapid growth from the mid-nineteenth century to the early 1950s.
In the early twentieth century the company began to concentrate on the design and manufacture of radial drilling machines for general purpose manufacturers and horizontal ram type borers for heavy industrial companies. By the mid-1960s the company had become the Asquith Corporation. It had become a machine tool conglomerate with a variety of machine tool manufacturing interests. At this time the Asquith Corporation was not performing particularly well and it was bought out by Staveley Industries, whose primary activity was chemicals.
In the early 1970s Staveley Industries began to reorganise their machine tool portfolio. Poor performing companies were closed down, new management teams were introduced and new finance became available for research and development of new products. Asquith at Halifax streamlined the production of radial drill products which were moving into the decline phase of their product life cycle, developing a new range of ram type boring machines equipped with the most modern computer numerical control systems (CNC). By 1979 they had developed a new range of vertical and horizontal multi-purpose boring, milling, drilling and CNC tapping machines for lighter engineering applications. In 1980 Staveley Industries made a strategic decision to divest its machine tool portfolio - although Asquith had become a profitable operation the industry was extremely cyclical.
The management of Asquith bought the company out in 1981 with the aid of venture capital and the company was registered as Asquith (1981) Ltd. The new company did not buy the facilities for manufacturing the heavy duty ram borers, but concentrated on the development, marketing and manufacturing of an extended but modular range of vertical and horizontal machines. Asquith (1981) had to down-size the workforce from about 400 to approximately 130. The company was then acquired by Marbaix Lapointe Ltd in 1992.
Butler was founded by James Ryder Butler in 1868, three years after Asquith. J R Butler manufactured most types of machine tool, and like Asquith, from 1918 to 1959 the Butler company became more specialised through the development and marketing of a niche range of planing, shaping, slotting and plano-milling machines (a combination of planing machine and milling machine). In the 1970s the company was acquired by the B Elliott Group and the company name changed to Butler Newall Ltd. During the late 1970s the company briefly diversified into lathe manufacturing, though this was discontinued in 1986 due to the fierce competition from other foreign manufacturers, particularly the Japanese.
In 1991 the company began to suffer with the onset of a new recession and in 1993 the Butler Newall milling division (and its foreign subsidiaries) was acquired by Marbaix Lapointe Ltd.
Following this double acquisition, the senior management of Marbaix Lapointe undertook an in-depth review of the resources at the two company sites and in 1994 both companies were consolidated into the Butler site. It was at this point that the two company names were merged becoming ASQUITH-BUTLER or AB, a new division of Marbaix Lapointe Ltd.
The new division had a turnover in 1996 of approximately £15 million (not including £2 million in sales for machine tool spare parts) and had a headcount of approximately 120 employees.
Machine Tools
Machin
继续阅读其余的 40011 字
xonestar
2009-05-14 07:57:40
阅读:51
评论:0
引用:0