Then & Now – 25 Years of Progress
It’s been 25 years of Midtherm Laser! As we celebrate this massive milestone, we’ve taken the opportunity to look back over the years. Have a read to see how the business has expanded and how our investments have made us one of the UK’s largest sub-contract flatbed laser cutters.
How We Started – 2000 to 2006
One of our current Directors, Richard Andrews, founded Midtherm Laser in December 2000. Working out of his father’s factory on New Road, Dudley, the laser division ran one Bystronic 3kW laser and had five staff. Linda Whitehouse, our current Office Manager, was one of the original staff members. She has seen, more than anyone, how the company has changed over the last 25 years.
“It’s amazing to think we started with a single laser in a small corner of a workshop. Now we’ve got four lasers, four press brakes, and 47 members of staff helping make it all happen. I feel lucky to have seen it all from the very beginning.” Linda shared.
Over the next four years, the business grew, and in April 2004, operations moved to our current premises on Peartree Lane and Dean Cockayne became a Director. Initially, we left the 3kW Bystronic laser at New Road and invested in a 4000×2000 4kW Bystronic CO₂ laser. Once that was up and running, we relocated all operations to Peartree Lane and moved the original 3kW Bystronic BySprint CO₂ machine there, where it remained until it was replaced in 2012.
In 2006, we added a third Bystronic 5.2kW CO₂ laser, followed by an Amada press in 2007. From here, we began offering forming as a secondary process alongside laser cutting.
Expansion & Investment – 2010 to 2015
With limited space, we ran a fourth Bystronic 4.4kW CO₂ laser off-site at Shaw Road. This expanded our capacity, reduced lead times, and led us to hire more staff to keep up with demand.
As mentioned in other articles, 2010 was the start of us producing our nitrogen on site. It was an environmentally conscious decision, converting from delivered gas and saving on deliveries every 2–3 days. You can read more about the investment here, and how the generator has been a crucial step in reaching our energy targets.
Factory 2 Built
By 2012, the original Factory 1 housed three Bystronic laser machines and one press brake, and employed 30 staff members. To keep up with the ever-changing trends in laser cutting, we continue to invest in new and up-to-date technology.
In November that year, we opened our £2.2m factory extension. We invited existing customers to celebrate and have a look around our new facility. The mayor even came to officially open it!
The additional space allowed room for a new large boardroom, quality and production offices and extra facilities. The extension also made space for two new 6kW Bystronic laser machines, increasing the total to five. One of the new additions was a Bystronic BySpeed CO2 6kW laser, specifically designated to cut non-ferrous material without cross-contamination. We can still offer non-ferrous cutting with our interchangeable laser bed. This prevents cross-contamination during production, which is particularly important in some fields of engineering.
Investments in Fiber Laser
We purchased our first fiber laser in 2012, which replaced the original BySprint bought when Midtherm Laser was first established. Fiber technology was a bit experimental at that time. The investment in 2012 in a BySprint Fiber 3kW was one of the first fiber lasers in the UK. We took a risk and it paid off as we still have that machine today. The 3kW fiber specialising in cutting narrow gauge material at high speed.
At the time, Operations Director Dean Cockayne said:
“Fiber technology has been available for a while now. As with any new technological advancement, there are always teething problems and glitches that need ironing out. We have purposely waited until these issues have been resolved. The new generation of Bystronic fiber machines has been proven in the field, and I believe that with our diverse range of machinery, Midtherm Laser confirms our position as market leader.”
The extension had given us more than just space. With five lasers and two press brakes across the two factories, the change in technology pushed us to advance from dated CO₂ laser technology to the fiber optics we use today.
In 2013, we invested in an additional 80T press brake to allow forming of smaller parts such as brackets in high-volume quantities, leaving the 250T press for larger, thicker components.
The Shift To Fiber Technology – 2018-2023
In 2018 Richard Andrews set an ambitious target – to reduce our energy consumption by 50% over the next 5 years.
As fiber laser technology improved and became more reliable, we made a major investment. We purchased our 10kW Bystronic fiber laser with automation and tower storage. The tower housed 180 Tonnes of raw material and cut parts. This also enables the 10kW to run out of hours, 24/7. This replaced the 6kW BySpeed CO2.
Below shows factory 1 with 2 C02 lasers compared to now with 2 fiber lasers and the tower storage along the back.
In 2021, after starting in sales in 2005 and working his way up, Mark Hannon took over from Dean as a Director.
In 2022, we replaced the two 6kW CO2 lasers in Factory 2 with one 12kW ByStar fiber laser with automation. We extended the tower storage to hold another 180 tonnes of material. We also replaced the 80-tonne press with a state-of-the-art Xpert 80, and added a 225-tonne ByBend Smart taking our press brake total to three.
The same year, the Midtherm Group had a re-brand. Celebrating and identifying the many separate companies of the Midtherm brand, we had a new logo and brand colours.
With Mark’s support, we invested in laser and forming machinery and upgraded our nitrogen generator. These changes enabled us to meet our energy target and in 2023, we reduced our consumption by 50%.
New Targets – 2024 to present
In 2024, we decommissioned our final CO2 laser and replaced it with a Bodor 12kW fiber laser, the first time in 20 years that we invested in a different brand of laser machine. We are now running four fiber lasers.
We upgraded the nitrogen generator and extended its storage, giving operators more control over when nitrogen is generated and how much is produced.
The most recent investment is a ByBend Smart E 55 press. This was purchased to reduce waiting time on formed items to try and increase our OTIF (On Time In Full) score and overall customer satisfaction.
In 2023 we set a new ambitious 5 year target for electricity usage: to reduce it by half again! We are currently half way there and will be installing solar panels next year to help achieve the goal.
Today, more than 40 staff work across both the office and shop floor. Their skills, supported by ongoing training and investment, have been key to the success of 25 years of Midtherm Laser.
Its been lovely looking back at the old photos and seeing how laser and forming technology has changed. These evolving processes have really improved our services and reduced our environmental impact. Something which is currently at the forefront of all decisions made, especially when purchasing new machinery. There will be more to come on this soon.
Thanks for reading!
2000 → 2025 At a Glance
| 2000 | 2025 |
|---|---|
| 1 Laser (CO₂) | 4 Lasers incl. 3kw, 10kw & 2x 12kW Fiber |
| 5 Staff | 40+ Staff |
| No forming | 55T, 80T, 225T + 250T Press Brakes |
| Manual processing | Automation, tower storage and in-house nitrogen |
| No accreditations | ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, BS EN 1090 |
25 years of Midtherm Laser
25 years of growth, investment and innovation. Here’s how Midtherm Laser has evolved since 2000.
