KMT appoints Ian Matthews as General Manager

KMT, a bespoke engineering solutions provider, has appointed Ian Matthews as its new General Manager. A highly successful engineer with a varied technical, commercial and business management background, Ian will help spearhead further growth across the business by enhancing services and entering new markets.

“KMT has market-leading capability in bespoke engineering from a design and practical perspective, so this role is a fantastic opportunity,” said Ian. “We have engineering competence in abundance and a team of enthusiastic people keen to see the business succeed. I will be working hard to grow key accounts and expand our service into new markets.”

Ian completed his apprenticeship and HNC in mechanical engineering while working at Hans Lingl UK. He then supplemented his machining, fabrication, machine building and on-site installation experience by moving into the design office. Following further spells designing commercial vehicle bodies as well as air conditioning systems for passenger and fighter aircraft, he joined Broxap Ltd in 2005 as a Project Draftsman. Eventually rising to Senior Contracts Manager, Ian oversaw the design, manufacture and ‘cradle to grave’ delivery of bespoke structures and architectural metalwork packages. As Head of Design there, he managed a 24-man engineering team, being responsible for the technical delivery of all projects, reporting directly to the board. Next, Ian moved to Westgate, a manufacturer of industrial partitions, joining initially as Technical Manager, before quickly progressing to become General Manager in 2018 and successfully growing the business.

Mark Brickhill, CEO at KMT, added: “We are excited to welcome Ian to the KMT team. As a bespoke engineering business, we want to extend our customer-base into new industries, ensuring that more manufacturers benefit from our market-leading capabilities. Ian will be at the forefront of this initiative, using his comprehensive technical and management knowledge to expand our offering even further.”

About KM Tools Ltd

KM Tools Ltd (KMT) specialises in manufacturing, maintaining and renewing specialised machines used for the manufacture of automotive components, with a specialist focus on emission control (Exhaust, CAT & DPF) product manufacture. It also specialises in providing precision assembly-line jigs and machines for the rail industry.

Its machines are used by leading brand manufacturers building parts for the OE market and the automotive aftermarket across the globe. Our manufacturing and service centre is based in a purpose built facility the Midlands from which it manufactures, services and rebuilds and supports hundreds of individual machines.

KMT can service, support and re-manufacture most machines from any original manufacturer, including one-off custom designs. It also develops tooling and workholding solutions such as bespoke automated, or semi-automated mandrels, jig and fixturing systems.