CITIZENS IN DEMAND!

Demand for NC Engineering’s Citizen CNC sliding head mill/turn automatic lathes has rocketed during the first quarter of 2004 as customers have hit capacity problems in reacting quickly to renewed market confidence, particularly in the supply of high-tech, high complex sub-contract machined parts.

Says managing director Geoff Bryant; "There has been a rapid change in the market as customers realise they need to upgrade to newer machines to improve competitiveness, and this has been fuelled by Citizen’s recent developments that are capable of reducing cycle times by between 20 and 40 per cent."

NC Engineering’s recommended pre-owned machines have also been snapped up by customers requiring machines on quick delivery to supplement existing capacity and, according to Geoff Bryant, buyers of new machines are still holding onto machines they really should be trading in. "We have a ready market for quality used Citizens with a known history," he says.

NC Engineering’s sales reflect Citizen’s rising global sales where Asia reacted first, followed by America in September 2003 and now the European market. Globally, Citizen’s order intake is now exceeding 260 machines a month, a level comparable to pre-2001.