CITIZEN SALES BREAK ALL RECORDS IN THE UK THROUGH NC ENGINEERING

Citizen CNC sliding head lathe sales have set an all time record for NC Engineering of Watford over 2007 with 100 machines being installed in the UK and Ireland. Such has been the level of business throughout the year that the UK has achieved the best market share for Citizen in Europe which is currently the strongest market in global terms for CNC sliding head turning centres.

Whilst the top of the range Citizen M32, due to its high level of flexibility, has maintained its position as a best seller says managing director Geoff Bryant: “The final analysis of different models has brought roughly equal installations of the M32, the mid-range L20, the 12 mm and 16 mm versions of the K Series and the latest A20 introduction. The A20, Citizen’s most successful global launch of a machine, has created a lot of interest in the UK due to its very competitively priced package with bar feed starting at only £65,000.

In particular, the Citizen A20 has been very successful in attracting new customers, many that were previously fixed head lathe users, to the advantages of single cycle turn/milling through sliding head technology many of whom were considering second-hand purchases. Says Geoff Bryant: “When they debate the benefits of a ready-to-run package using the latest technology with training and the security of a full two-year warranty, the decision mostly favours the new machine.”

Over the last 12 months, 80 per cent of sales have been taken by subcontractors who, maintains Geoff Bryant, have been growing in confidence due to continued strengthening of order books and the need to continue to improve competitiveness and deliveries. Indeed, many of the sales reflect this through customers wanting higher specifications to give them a greater degree of flexibility and to have the installed capability to take on more complicated or different types of work.