Major New Contract For Therser, Staffordshire Kiln Specialist

Pictured: Matthew Pound and Neil Mack of Therser UK

Kiln and furnace specialist Therser UK Ltd is gearing up for a double celebration – after landing a major contract with ceramics manufacturer Churchill China in its 10th year in business.

Stoke-on-Trent-based Therser UK secured the contract – which is one of its largest orders in the past few years - for the manufacture and installation of a new, 48-metre fast-fire tunnel kiln.

The new kiln forms part of an ongoing investment programme at Churchill, also based in Stoke-on-Trent, which is looking to increase production of its high-performance hospitality tableware.

Therser’s latest contract comes as the company marks its milestone 10th year in business this year.

Managing director Neil Mack said: “We are very proud to win this contract with a large, successful Stoke-on-Trent company like Churchill.”

“We are the largest kiln manufacturer in the UK and to secure an order like this at the beginning of our 10th year in business is fantastic.

“We have come a long way in 10 years, and I am proud of what we have managed to achieve in such a short time.

“We already have plans in place for further expansion and continued growth of our company over next 10 years.”

The management team at Therser say the new contract will add to the company’s current order book – and allow them to create a handful of new jobs.

Neil added: “We have expanded quite a bit over the last six months due to the work we have already got, but this project will lengthen our already busy order book and will mean we will be in a position to create new apprenticeships and employ some further members of staff.”

Therser UK was established in 2009 as a team of four, who operated from a small office at the company’s Burslem headquarters.

The business specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of kilns, furnaces, emissions control systems and associated equipment for the ceramics, aerospace, technical ceramics and heavy clay industries.

Today the firm boasts a 35-strong workforce which have worked on major projects for some of Stoke-on-Trent’s largest ceramics companies in addition to other customers throughout the UK and overseas.

Sales director at Therser UK, Matthew Pound said: “Over the years we have tried to diversify into new marketplaces and we are continually getting enquiries from different industries.

“We have also invested a lot in R&D and we have our own test facility where we can demonstrate our expertise to our customers, this has allowed us to expand our marketplace into aerospace, alloy heat treatment and the technical ceramics markets to name a few.

"This is something we are going to further develop as we introduce new technology into our control systems.”

Article by Laura James, Business Editor at The Sentinel and Stoke-on-Trent Live