Following the continual snow storms and bad weather, we can set your mind at rest that in the event of your electrical machines or traction motors suffering from an in-service failure or the transport system grinding to a halt, our Engineers are on Standby and Houghton Internatonal are on Red Alert.
We encountered a similar problem in February 2009 for First Capital Connect. In short - over 40 of their G310 traction motors suffered an in-service failure following the heaviest snowfall that Central London had seen in nearly 20 years. Their G310 traction motors could not cope with working in such severe weather and First Capital Connect had not experienced anything like this before. Consequently, this led to extremely unhappy passengers.
To find out how we solved this problem, read our Case Study & Testimonial from Unipart Rail & FCC: http://www.houghton-international.com/index.php?page=case-study-first-capital-connect
If you require further information on our traction motor repair service and the work we do in the Rail industry, contact me on: + 44 (0)191 234 7805
or email : emma.pattison@houghton-international.com
Monday, 21 December 2009
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Read our feature in The Journal, 25.11.09
Newcastle firm Houghton International plan to double in size
Nov 25 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal
ENGINEERING firm Houghton International has laid out plans to more than double the size of its Tyneside headquarters and create 40 jobs as it looks to grow its annual turnover by £2m to £5m.
The company, based in Walker, Newcastle, has taken on a 10,000sqft warehouse close to its current 15,000sqft site and, in the next 18 months, expects to invest in a second 10,000sqft facility.
The expansion follows a period of strong growth at home and abroad, which was extended last week with its first contract in Canada. The firm has employed an agent in Canada to help grow the North American market, and also has a man in Dubai to sniff out deals across the Gulf region.
Houghton's new addition on Walker Riverside will double production of its rail traction motor repairs business, and also enable it to service Tyneside's emerging renewable energy market.
Managing director Michael Mitten said: "We've had two record years of sales growth and our turnover is set to break the £3m mark this year, with aspirations to grow to £5m in the next two years.
To read the rest of the article, visit:
http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news/2009/11/25/newcastle-firm-houghton-international-plan-to-double-in-size-51140-25245143/
Nov 25 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal
ENGINEERING firm Houghton International has laid out plans to more than double the size of its Tyneside headquarters and create 40 jobs as it looks to grow its annual turnover by £2m to £5m.
The company, based in Walker, Newcastle, has taken on a 10,000sqft warehouse close to its current 15,000sqft site and, in the next 18 months, expects to invest in a second 10,000sqft facility.
The expansion follows a period of strong growth at home and abroad, which was extended last week with its first contract in Canada. The firm has employed an agent in Canada to help grow the North American market, and also has a man in Dubai to sniff out deals across the Gulf region.
Houghton's new addition on Walker Riverside will double production of its rail traction motor repairs business, and also enable it to service Tyneside's emerging renewable energy market.
Managing director Michael Mitten said: "We've had two record years of sales growth and our turnover is set to break the £3m mark this year, with aspirations to grow to £5m in the next two years.
To read the rest of the article, visit:
http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news/2009/11/25/newcastle-firm-houghton-international-plan-to-double-in-size-51140-25245143/
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Middle East Agent - Details of November tour announced
We are pleased to announce that our Middle East Agent, Greg Kemp from 3GK Ltd will be visiting the following countries during his latest tour of the Middle East:
Kuwait: 14-16th November
Bahrain: 17-18th November
Oman: 21-22nd November
Qatar: 24-25th November
Greg is now based full-time in Dubai in order to assist any company based in the Middle East to discuss how 3GK Ltd and Houghton International can help you.
To arrange an appointment, contact Greg Kemp on: +971(0)50488557 or email: greg@aev.co.uk
Monday, 2 November 2009
Michael Mitten, MD, to speak at Entrepreneurs’ Forum SME Conference on Thurs 5th November 2009
Michael Mitten, MD will be offering a shot of inspiration with tales of his experience in industry – and of his extraordinary expedition to the North Pole on foot.
The growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be at the heart of a major conference being hosted by the Entrepreneurs' Forum at the Hilton Hotel, Gateshead, on Thursday, November 5.
With the theme of "Breaking Through", the event is shaping up to be an essential date in the diary for entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors who are looking to fulfill the potential of their businesses and celebrate survival. The line-up of guest speakers – to be introduced by Guardian columnist and author Guy Browning - boasts an array of business leaders who have all made the breakthrough to pursue their ambitions.
The conference takes place from 9.30am to 5.00pm and costs £75 plus VAT for Entrepreneurs' Forum members, £95 plus VAT for non-members. Book 2 places and you will receive a discounted rate of £120 + VAT (Forum member bringing one guest) or £150 + VAT (Non-members)
For more information, telephone 0870 850 2233, e-mail info@entrepreneursforum.net or visit http://www.entrepreneursforum.net/events/conference_breakingthrough.php
Michael Mitten featured in nebusiness.co.uk
Michael Mitten. MD, is featured in nebusiness.co.uk, 02.11.09. Click here to read the article in full
ENTREPRENEURS running small businesses are still optimistic about the economy despite orders in the sector remaining depressed. Demand for goods made by the UK's small and medium-sized manufacturers remained depressed in the last three months, but firms expect order books to stabilise in the next quarter, according to the CBI's latest quarterly SME Trends Survey.
Michael Mitten, managing director of Newcastle engineering group Houghton International, says he is benefiting from the work put in place following the downturn of 2001. He said: "We anticipate that we'll create more than 40 new jobs over the next two years – built on solid foundations."
ENTREPRENEURS running small businesses are still optimistic about the economy despite orders in the sector remaining depressed. Demand for goods made by the UK's small and medium-sized manufacturers remained depressed in the last three months, but firms expect order books to stabilise in the next quarter, according to the CBI's latest quarterly SME Trends Survey.
Michael Mitten, managing director of Newcastle engineering group Houghton International, says he is benefiting from the work put in place following the downturn of 2001. He said: "We anticipate that we'll create more than 40 new jobs over the next two years – built on solid foundations."
Friday, 16 October 2009
Houghton International Creates 40 Jobs on 25th Anniversary
North East based electrical engineers Houghton International has celebrated its 25th year in business by announcing that they will create 40 jobs over the next three years.
Based on Walker Riverside in Newcastle, Houghton International is currently in the process of expanding and has received a £200,000 Job Creation grant from One North East.
It has recently acquired a second 10,000sq ft storage and production unit near its Walker base which will support doubling production for its rail traction motor repairs business and also enable the company to offer a unique proposition into Tyneside's emerging renewable energy market.
Michael Mitten, Managing Director, said: "We've had two record years of sales growth and our turnover is set to break the £3million mark this year, with aspirations to grow to £5million in the next two years."
"While we're realistic about the current economy, we're optimistic about our future as our board set a clear strategy some years ago to reduce our risk exposure to economic cycles. We've continued to grow steadily and our core strategy has seen us outperform other companies in our sector."
Much of Houghton International's recent growth has been a result of it taking a ten per cent market share in the UK's rail traction motor industry, including winning contracts with Tyne and Wear Metro, Unipart Rail and MerseyRail.
Michael Mitten continued: "We are seeing an opportunity to take business to a whole new level. Our success to date has been down to developing a cracking team of dedicated people who have focused on our customers' needs, and delivered what they wanted. "
"Our strategy has been based around forming partnerships with our customers that promote mutual benefit. To this end, we've been able to quantify the value we add meaning lots of our customers have asked us to take on more and we've made the business scalable by controlling processes and educating our people. We've also established new sales channels in North America and the Middle East and are in advanced discussions in India and South East Asia, which gives us a foot in the door to some interesting markets."
"Houghton International is delighted to be celebrating its 25 year Silver Anniversary this year and to be creating new jobs for the region. The next year is going to be a very exciting one for us and we look forward to our expansion and turnover increasing further."
Houghton International was originally founded in 1984 in Houghton-le-Spring, moving to larger premises in South Shields in 1990 to accommodate for an increase in both employees and orders, and moving to Walker Riverside in 1998. Over the years, the company has gained over 400 customers and exports to over 20 countries worldwide including Greece, Canada, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Norway and the USA. It is the UK's fastest growing, most customer focused electric motor and alternator repair company, servicing the rail, wind power, oil and gas (offshore), industrial, water, power generation, marine, mining and High Voltage coil manufacturing sectors.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Mitten, Managing Director, Houghton International. Tel: 0191 234 3000. Email: michael.mitten@houghton-international.com
or
Kate Galloway, Senior PR Account Manager, Gardiner Richardson. Tel: 0191 261 4250. Mobile: 07872 128137. Email: kateg@gardiner-richardson.com.
Based on Walker Riverside in Newcastle, Houghton International is currently in the process of expanding and has received a £200,000 Job Creation grant from One North East. It has recently acquired a second 10,000sq ft storage and production unit near its Walker base which will support doubling production for its rail traction motor repairs business and also enable the company to offer a unique proposition into Tyneside's emerging renewable energy market.
Michael Mitten, Managing Director, said: "We've had two record years of sales growth and our turnover is set to break the £3million mark this year, with aspirations to grow to £5million in the next two years."
"While we're realistic about the current economy, we're optimistic about our future as our board set a clear strategy some years ago to reduce our risk exposure to economic cycles. We've continued to grow steadily and our core strategy has seen us outperform other companies in our sector."
Much of Houghton International's recent growth has been a result of it taking a ten per cent market share in the UK's rail traction motor industry, including winning contracts with Tyne and Wear Metro, Unipart Rail and MerseyRail.
Michael Mitten continued: "We are seeing an opportunity to take business to a whole new level. Our success to date has been down to developing a cracking team of dedicated people who have focused on our customers' needs, and delivered what they wanted. "
"Our strategy has been based around forming partnerships with our customers that promote mutual benefit. To this end, we've been able to quantify the value we add meaning lots of our customers have asked us to take on more and we've made the business scalable by controlling processes and educating our people. We've also established new sales channels in North America and the Middle East and are in advanced discussions in India and South East Asia, which gives us a foot in the door to some interesting markets."
"Houghton International is delighted to be celebrating its 25 year Silver Anniversary this year and to be creating new jobs for the region. The next year is going to be a very exciting one for us and we look forward to our expansion and turnover increasing further."
Houghton International was originally founded in 1984 in Houghton-le-Spring, moving to larger premises in South Shields in 1990 to accommodate for an increase in both employees and orders, and moving to Walker Riverside in 1998. Over the years, the company has gained over 400 customers and exports to over 20 countries worldwide including Greece, Canada, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Norway and the USA. It is the UK's fastest growing, most customer focused electric motor and alternator repair company, servicing the rail, wind power, oil and gas (offshore), industrial, water, power generation, marine, mining and High Voltage coil manufacturing sectors.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Mitten, Managing Director, Houghton International. Tel: 0191 234 3000. Email: michael.mitten@houghton-international.com
or
Kate Galloway, Senior PR Account Manager, Gardiner Richardson. Tel: 0191 261 4250. Mobile: 07872 128137. Email: kateg@gardiner-richardson.com.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Middle East Agent - Details of next trip around the Middle East
Earlier this year, Houghton International recently appointed Greg Kemp from 3GK Ltd as our Agent in the Middle East.
Greg is now based full-time in Dubai and is available to assist any company based in the Middle East.
Greg will be visiting Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar from 14th November 2009 onwards.
If you would like to arrange an appointment with him to discuss how 3GK Ltd and Houghton International can help you, please contact Greg Kemp on: +971(0)50488557 or email: greg@aev.co.uk.
Case Study: First Capital Connect G310 Winter Failures
The First Capital Connect G310 Problem
First Capital Connect encountered a sudden and severe problem with extreme consequences.
Over 40 of their G310 traction motors had suffered an in-service failure following the heaviest snowfall that Central London had seen in nearly 20 years. In short, their G310 traction motors could not cope with working in such severe weather.
First Capital Connect had not experienced anything like this before.
With the sudden loss of over 40 of their G310 traction motors, they did not have enough traction motors to supply their trains. Their contingency plan wasn't geared towards such an extreme loss of traction motors. Without a full set of trains, they were unable to run a full on-time train service as advertised. Without their full advertised train service running on-time, they were a major contributor to Central London slowly grinding to a halt from the effects of snow.
Consequently, this led to extremely unhappy passengers.
Ian Duncan, Head of Fleet GN, First Capital Connect stated:
"This was a great example of FCC, Unipart Rail and Houghton staff working together to understand the potential effect on our customers and putting together unique robust solutions that averted loss of availability and potential severe disruption to our customers".
First Capital Connect encountered a sudden and severe problem with extreme consequences.
Over 40 of their G310 traction motors had suffered an in-service failure following the heaviest snowfall that Central London had seen in nearly 20 years. In short, their G310 traction motors could not cope with working in such severe weather.First Capital Connect had not experienced anything like this before.
With the sudden loss of over 40 of their G310 traction motors, they did not have enough traction motors to supply their trains. Their contingency plan wasn't geared towards such an extreme loss of traction motors. Without a full set of trains, they were unable to run a full on-time train service as advertised. Without their full advertised train service running on-time, they were a major contributor to Central London slowly grinding to a halt from the effects of snow.
Consequently, this led to extremely unhappy passengers.
Ian Duncan, Head of Fleet GN, First Capital Connect stated:
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Supporting Paws for a Cause & St Cuthbert’s Hospice
Emma Pattison, Marketing Executive kindly volunteered at Paws for a Cause, a fundraising event for St Cuthbert's Hospice on Sunday 11th October 2009.
Information about the event is below.
101 Dalmations… (and Labradors, Poodles, Terriers and more!)
Over a hundred dogs gathered in Chester-le-Street on Sunday to lend a paw to St Cuthbert's Hospice, Paws for a Cause. The Hospice's first sponsored dog walk, saw an army of dogs and families taking a Sunday morning stroll around the riverside in Chester-le-Street to raise vital funds for the Durham-based charity.
Dog walkers enjoyed a perfect Autumn day… as they completed the picturesque three mile route. The walk was launched at 10.30am by TV presenter Pip Tomson, who also took part with her Tibetan Terrier.
St Cuthbert's Hospice provides care and support free of charge to people with life threatening conditions in Durham, Chester le Street and Derwentside. The Hospice must raise £1 million each year through voluntary donations and fundraising events, in order to continue providing these services to the local community.
It is hoped that Paws for a Cause has raised around £9,000, which could potentially pay for 25 people to have an overnight stay at St Cuthbert's Hospice.
"We're thrilled that so many people have got behind Paws for a Cause in its first ever year," said Rachel Jobson, a fundraiser at St Cuthbert's Hospice.
"There's been a great atmosphere today and people have raised a fantastic amount of funds for the Hospice, which will make a real difference to local families. Thank you to our sponsors Abbey Vets Centres, as well as everyone who registered or sponsored a dog. And of course, I would also like to say a special thank you to all the dogs!"
Information about the event is below.
101 Dalmations… (and Labradors, Poodles, Terriers and more!)
Over a hundred dogs gathered in Chester-le-Street on Sunday to lend a paw to St Cuthbert's Hospice, Paws for a Cause. The Hospice's first sponsored dog walk, saw an army of dogs and families taking a Sunday morning stroll around the riverside in Chester-le-Street to raise vital funds for the Durham-based charity.
St Cuthbert's Hospice provides care and support free of charge to people with life threatening conditions in Durham, Chester le Street and Derwentside. The Hospice must raise £1 million each year through voluntary donations and fundraising events, in order to continue providing these services to the local community.
It is hoped that Paws for a Cause has raised around £9,000, which could potentially pay for 25 people to have an overnight stay at St Cuthbert's Hospice.
"We're thrilled that so many people have got behind Paws for a Cause in its first ever year," said Rachel Jobson, a fundraiser at St Cuthbert's Hospice.
"There's been a great atmosphere today and people have raised a fantastic amount of funds for the Hospice, which will make a real difference to local families. Thank you to our sponsors Abbey Vets Centres, as well as everyone who registered or sponsored a dog. And of course, I would also like to say a special thank you to all the dogs!"
We Are Supporting Wear It Pink for Breast Cancer Care
Houghton International are delighted to be participating in the Wear It Pink day for Breast Cancer Care on Friday 30th October 2009.
We are encouraging all our staff to wear a pink item of clothing or accessory and donate £2.00 each to help beat breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Campaign uses all wear it pink donations to fund innovative, world-class research throughout the UK and Ireland to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure. The charity currently supports around 130 projects worth £15million in 43 centres across the UK and Ireland.
For more information, visit: www.wearitpink.co.uk
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Annual Staff Performance Awards – Prize Winners
At our 25 Year Staff Silver Anniversary Celebrations on Friday 2nd October we launched the Houghton International Annual Performance Awards.
The awards are created to recognise: outstanding day to day contributions, outstanding overall commitment, outstanding overall achievement, high level of praise and feedback, positive attitude and flexibility within our staff.
THE WINNERS ARE:
Outstanding Performance (HV/HT Business Unit):
Maxine Evans, Coil Operative & Lyndsay Lockhart, Coil Operative
Outstanding Performance (LV Business Unit):
Davy Sams, Apprentice Training Officer & Ian Cranston, Fitter/Turner
Outstanding Performance (Rail Business Unit):
John Downey, Coil Inserter/Fitter & Piotr Latuszek, Welder
Apprentice of the Year:
Stu Cowans, Apprentice
Outstanding Newcomer of the Year:
Emma Pattison, Marketing Executive
Outstanding Performer in a Supporting Role:
Jane Craig, Finance & HR Manager
Outstanding Commitment Award:
Albert Parr, Fitter/Turner & Davy Livingstone, Armature Winder
Customer Service Award:
Chris Robson, LV Business Unit Deputy Manager
Safest Pair of Hands Award:
Carolyn Herdman, Health & Safety Advisor
Most Helpful Award:
Graeme Leese, Finance Administrator
Bright Idea Award:
Brian Douds, Compliance Manager
Unsung Hero / Heroine Award:
Krystyna Malinowska, Project Manager
Outstanding Achievement Award:
Michael Mitten, Managing Director
Congratulations to all our winners. Photos will appear shortly.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Add us to your LinkedIn network
Add us into your LinkedIn Network.
Company Name: Houghton International Electrical Services Ltd
http://www.linkedin.com/companies/463152
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Houghton International - Committed to Macmillan Cancer Support & True North
During the past 25 years, Houghton International have supported a variety of Charities, either through donations or finding the time to complete a personal challenge and raising sponsorship. Our chosen Charity in our Silver Jubilee Year and beyond is Macmillan Cancer Support.
Our Managing Director, Michael Mitten, has set up the True North organisation, to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, in memory of his father, Ron Mitten who founded Houghton International in 1984.
To sponsor Michael for this amazing achievement visit: www.justgiving.com/truenorth. For more information on the Expedition visit Michael's blog: http://www.truenorth2009.blogspot.com
For information on our other charity work, visit the Charity work page on our website.
Launching the Houghton International Online News Archive
Houghton International have published many News Articles on our Website since the website relaunch in October 2008. For your benefit, we have created an archive of all news articles and brochures that we have published online.
If you have any queries please contact Emma Pattison, Marketing Executive on +44 (0)191 234 3000 or email: emma.pattison@houghton-international.com
Monday, 14 September 2009
Visit our Facebook Page
Visit the Houghton International Facebook Page and become a fan.
Make sure to invite your friends and colleagues!
Join us on Twitter
Houghton International are now on Twitter.
Our Twitter name is: HoughtonInt
Click here to follow Houghton International on TwitterOur Twitter name is: HoughtonInt
Read our feature in The Rail Engineer Magazine
Houghton International are delighted to announce that we are featured in the June 2009 Issue of The Rail Engineer Magazine.
"Everything matters.
Stuart Marsh reports on how attention to detail and innovation have brought success to Houghton International, a Tyneside company specialising in traction motor refurbishments."
For more information on our services to the Rail Industry visit the Rail section, of our Website or contact Ian Young, Rail Business Unit Manager on +44 (0) 191 234 7807 or email: ian.young@houghton-international.com.
Development of the EMIR Time & Attendance System
The Houghton International corporate strategy is “to develop long-term partnerships with worldwide brands in the electric motor and generator marketplaces. By listening to our customers' needs, understanding the markets in which they operate and how they add value to their customers, we tailor our investments and business structure to deliver value that exceeds all expectations.”
To be able to achieve this, we understand that our operational procedures and systems have to be constantly reviewed and updated.
Houghton International have pioneered the development of Solutions in IT’s EMIR Time and Attendance system, in conjunction with Solutions in IT.
The EMIR Time and Attendance system has been in place since April 2009 and is proving invaluable in tracking the process of all work in progress and enables us to track the precise amount of time spent on each operation via the EMIR software.
The main objective of the live time management system is to support the development of a performance driven culture by improving efficiency and workforce management systems, minimising human errors when recording time on jobs, enabling invoicing on delivery date and reducing admin time spent on labour recording.
The EMIR T&A system is an invaluable tool that helps us to achieve all these objectives. Its functionalities were developed to allow us to record and measure data more accurately. We can now plan the work operations and their times required on jobs and measure those operations as they happen.
Another functionality of the EMIR T&A system is entry/exit log for all staff. Labour recording and attendance logs are achieved by swiping bar codes onto a scanner. This data is now used by the management to monitor the true performance of staff.
Although the system is simple in operation, it took a lot of specifying with Solutions in IT to ensure that the solution matched our needs. The system has to cope with multiple time rates for all employees on multiple shift patterns.
Since the T&A system is an integral part of EMIR we have all finance, logistics and attendance data stored within one system, which is another advantage of choosing this solution over other solutions available on the market.
For more information on the EMIR Time and Attendance system contact Gary Downes on: 0845 009 4588, email: gary@solutionsinit.com or visit: www.solutionsinit.com
About Solutions in IT
“Solutions in IT have been providing specialist software and I.T. solutions for the Electronic and Electro-mechanical repair, sales and service industry for over 15 years, since the creation of our BOSS and EMIR products back in 1994.
This customised software has since been installed in over 120 companies during this period, from the UK, Ireland, South Africa and Asia, and have market leading products in this, our only, target sector. We have many customers amongst the excellent AEMT membership, of which Houghton International are a highly valued one.
Our EMIR Professional software continues to push the boundaries, and provide new functionality for our customers to cover more areas of their businesses. The Time & Attendance functionality, produced in conjunction with Houghton International, shows how we can take a customer requirement and work it into a full blown solution within our existing EMIR software in a short time frame.
Our developers at FHG Software, headed by John Anderson, play a huge part in the production and testing of the solution, and their support services are vital to ensure our customers run a trouble-free software system that they can rely on to manage their businesses.
We have enjoyed working on this solution, and look forward to continuing our excellent working relationship with Houghton International.” Gary Downes, Director, Solutions in IT Ltd
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