L.A.C is over 20 years old and started from humble beginnings in a garage. It’s now one of the few UK manufacturers of conveyor technology and is one of the largest Tier two system integrators operating in the UK.
Joe Metcalfe, Sales Director at LAC Conveyors & Automation speaks to Warehouse & Logistics News.
What are your best-known products/solutions/services?
We manufacture bespoke conveyor technology and products in the UK. We also partner with Exotec in the UK and Ireland. It’s an AMR (autonomous mobile robot) goods to person picking system which is making waves across the world. In addition to this we manufacture specialist equipment and robotics for a range of industries. We are also an ABB value provider which gives us enormous choice when it comes to developing bespoke robotic applications.
Which industry sectors are your customers in and which ones are growing fastest?
Many different ones but we tend to split them up as Fashion Apparel, Grocery, Manufacturing & Consumers Goods
What are your most recent product innovations?
We have developed a range of high-speed belt conveyors that can run up to 3 m/s and some high-speed labelling machines. We are continually evolving our special application conveyor range as clients often have specific needs. We are also developing our WCS software so that we can integrate new product ranges and partner technologies.
What are the major trends and developments affecting your category and your customers, and how are you responding?
Retail Ecom and the 3PL automation market seems to be growing fast. Flexible, modular technology such as Exotec and some of the ABB standard robotic applications suit both these environments. Although Exotec is a high throughput system you’re able to start small and grow the solution as demand increases. This suits smaller clients whose investment capability is usually relative to their size and where the volumes don’t justify larger investment. In the 3PL world these systems are appealing because there is minimal fixed infrastructure and commissioning times are short. This means they can be moved from site to site and additional throughput can be added at short notice with minimal impact to operations.
Can you tell us about any recent customer contracts and how you helped the customer meet their challenges?
Over the last 3 years we have worked with a range of businesses which have varied in both size and specification. We have worked on very small bespoke conveyor jobs to multi-million-pound integrated systems. Some of our most successful projects have included repeat business for some of the largest parcel-handling companies in the UK and worldwide. We have built great partner relationships with both Exotec and ABB which means we have been able to break into new business sectors. We were awarded our first Exotec Skypod order which is due to go live in November 2022. We have also worked on several high-profile robotic systems with ABB, utilising dynamic software for the creation of pallet stack patterns for mixed SKU palletising.
How does business in 2021 compare to previous years? What’s your strategy for succeeding in the current climate?
We have grown again and the events over the last two years have increased automation enquiries. We don’t expect the market to cool off too much because businesses need to evolve to meet the changing expectations of their customers and the challenges in supply chains. The pace of change however is a tough challenge to meet and our strategy over the next year is to onboard the right talent so that we can continue to meet demand and deliver successful projects
What’s the latest news from your company?
We have a new senior leadership team onboard to support growth. Jon Wilton has come on board as commercial director, bringing a wealth of experience from his time at both Dematic and TGW. I joined at the same time as sales director and will be looking to help the business expand into new sectors. On the manufacturing side of the business we are looking to expand our facilities and we are continually developing new product ranges.
Can you tell us about any areas where you’re currently making technical advances eg safety, sustainability, environment?
Sustainability is a tough nut to crack for this industry however we partner with some leading companies like ABB and Exotec in this space. Both companies invest heavily in R&D and sustainability is high on the agenda. The new robot and AMR (autonomous mobile robot) ranges that are hitting the market employ the latest in power saving technology. Exotec has a unique offering that doesn’t use lifts as the robots climb the rack and their system uses much less power than traditional shuttle technology.
Are you investing in staff training and skills development?
All the time but we need to do more to counter the lack of skills in this industry. We are kicking off new training courses for skills such as simulation and solution design because it’s not something that is easy to find training courses for.
Are you taking part in any major trade shows? Can you tell us what you’ll be exhibiting there?
We will be at IMHX showing off some of our new conveyor ranges and we are also partnering Exotec on their stand. It’s going to be a great show and we cant wait to catch up with both clients and other suppliers.
LAC Conveyors & Automation
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