Member Article

Engineering group eyes bright future amid changes

North East engineering firm Industrial and Marine Hydraulics (IMH) is gearing up for an era of expansion and diversification after announcing plans to appoint a new managing director.

The Middlesbrough-based company’s founder and long-standing managing director Paul Griffiths is to take up the position of chairman after 30 years at the helm of the business.

He will be replaced by Nathanael Allison, who joins the business from Global Marine Energy, where he served as customer relations director.

Mr Griffiths has overseen the development of IMH from a fledgling business into a company with a portfolio of heavyweight global clients on its books and a 32-strong workforce.

Recent successes for the firm include contract wins for work on the Colne Flood Defence Barrier and Torness Nuclear Power Station, as well as being enlisted by the likes of Houlder, Cordell and Bosch Rexroth for various projects.

Meanwhile, the company’s products are now exported to markets across the globe, including the US, Brazil, China and Norway.

Mr Griffiths said: “We have established a very strong and stable company, but it can do so much more and we owe it to our staff and clients to take IMH forward into a new era.

“We have therefore appointed a new and younger managing director, who has fresh ideas, a lot of drive and energy, great leadership skills and fantastic experience in international business development and customer relations.

“Our new man, Nathanael Allison, is an intelligent leader with vision and focus and a lot of energy.”

Mr Allison said: “IMH presents such a fabulous opportunity to grow a UK based company of engineering excellence. It is a company with a philosophy of developing home grown talent to compete on a world stage to deliver its hydraulic engineering services and products.”

As well as growing its international presence in recent years, IMH has developed a thriving apprenticeship scheme.

This year it plans to recruit a record five apprentices while continuing to support its staff through HNC and part-time degree qualifications.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .