Keeping it in the family

Andy Haigh is a happy man. Twenty-three years ago he spotted a gap in the market and the result is Mid West Automation, a successful family business which continues to go from strength to strength.
It’s very much a niche industry as Andy explains: ‘We supply high-quality aluminium frame design for all kinds of applications. For example, we make the guarding that goes on a machine for assembling components, anything to do with industry really. We’ve also started to gain a market in Sim Rig. These high-quality simulator machines enable people to take part in virtual races – that might be a drive around the track at Silverstone or a high-speed boat race.’
Mid West Automation’s tenure at Link Business Centre
began in 2001 with a 1,000 sq ft unit. Having doubled in size, they took on 2,500 sq ft at Unit 5 in 2004 and a further 1,000 sq ft unit in 2011.
Their clients are mostly in the UK but they provide one global company with a ready-to-go product that is wrapped and packaged, ready for export.
While some companies are shedding jobs due to automation and AI, these advances have brought work Andy’s way: ‘With automation and AI, companies shed labour as they put robotics into transformers. That results in extra work for us because everything we do is connected to the robotics industry. When there’s a downturn in business, companies switch to automation because it’s cheaper than employing people. They then realise how much money they’ve made using robotics and buy more goods from us. Essentially, we’ve found a niche which holds its end up regardless of the economic climate.’
But it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Andy. A brush with cancer in 2018 resulted in an eight-hour operation, followed by a prosthetic pelvis. It took him two months to learn to walk again but he came out with a smile on his face.
It’s a family business in the truest sense. Andy’s wife Jennie is Co-Director and does the book-keeping, His daughters, Lisa, Sara, Emma and grandson Josh are all in the business. Emma and Sara work on the eBay site. Josh, along with Craig and Lisa (who are both employees rather than family) work in the production area.
They’re an optimistic team, and have every reason to be so. ‘Going forwards we’re growing organically and it’s all word of mouth. It’s a great business to be in’ concludes Andy.
For further details about Mid West Automation see
www.midwestautomationltd.co.uk