HTA Group Joins WEC in New Partnership!

WEC Group has completed a deal which sees the Coventry-based HTA Group join its growing family of businesses.

The multi-million pound partnership will enable WEC Group to continue to dominate the UK's laser cutting and fabrication sector.

HTA Group, which has a 130-strong workforce and a £10 million annual turnover, joins WEC Group to create a business with 800 employees and a projected £75 million turnover.

Founded in 1973, HTA is one of the UK's largest subcontract manufacturers. It is a leading supplier of laser cut parts, sheet metal components and fabricated assemblies. Like its new parent group, it has a strong track record of investment in technology.

HTA managing director Adam Thomas is working within the expanded business on a consultancy basis while his brother Philip remains a key member of the HTA staff.

Wayne Wild, commercial director of the family-owned WEC Group, said: "This is an exciting new chapter for HTA Group, its workforce and its present and future customers.

"As another family run company we're aware of the name HTA has forged for itself and its reputation for high quality work, service and delivery. Our aim is to build on that.

"The expanded group makes us one of the largest laser cutting and fabrication operations in the UK. It means we can offer more services and skills to our customers."

Last year HTA Group, which carries out robotic and manual welding and fabrication at its 90,000 sq ft factory in Coventry, invested more than £2 million in automated laser profiling technology in an installation that was reported to be unparalleled in the country.

The equipment was made up of two 5kW TRUMPF TruLaser 5040 fiber laser cutting machines (4m by 2m format) with BrightLine fiber technology and SortMaster part sorting automation.

The new deal means that the expanded WEC Group will have 23 laser cutting machines working across all its operations, including two tube machines that will allow HTA to offer 3D laser cutting to its customers for the first time.

WEC's robotic 7.2m x 640 tonne press also increases HTA's current capacity and adds waterjet and plasma cutting to the Midlands operation. On top of that HTA adds CNC Punching to WEC Group's overall capabilities and allows it to offer that function to its existing and future customer base.

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