EXECUTIVE NEWS
LYTE YEARS AHEAD Robert Aplin reports on Lyte’s new factory in west Wales.
Drive 100 miles due west from our offices and you arrive at the new production facility in Swansea of Lyte Industries (Wales) Ltd, better known as Lyte Ladders & Towers. On reflection - and there’s been much of this in our 40th Anniversary issue - this is probably the furthest west UK factory visit I’ve made. Lyte was celebrating the official opening of its massive 106,000ft2 factory on the Swansea Enterprise Park, in the shadow of the Liberty Stadium. According to MD John Greene, “this new facility has improved transport links, as we are now directly on the M4, rather than 15 miles from it. More significantly, this new factory allows us to greatly improve our operational efficiency, as we can carry out all our operations under one roof. If demand allows, we can also develop an additional 100,000ft2
factory on part of the car park on the new site.
The new location also offers a PASMA tower and ladder training facility. “Our previous facility in Ystradgynlais, further up the valley, was an old 1940s building, which was inefficient and we couldn’t modernise it economically. Having sold the site for development, we have
injected
these funds back into
the business, strengthening our balance sheet in the process.” In an area of Wales where unemployment is, clearly, a major issue,
Director Paul Lewis is justifiably proud of the fact that Lyte not lost a single job in the move. “We have retained all 110 staff, and, with Tesco having bought our former premises, it is creating 170 jobs in Ystradgynlais, which is a great boost for the village. As a result, there is a net gain for Lyte and Tesco.” Every little helps, as they say. “Our plan now is to grow the business. Our ladders and towers
are quality, heavy duty products which are well respected within the hire industry.” Finally, new Lyte products to be launched at next February’s Executive Hire Show include re-designed podium and glass fibre combination ladders.
5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86