Clamason Industries

The company

Established in 1947, Clamason is a renowned manufacturer of precision pressed metal components and assemblies for medical, automotive, general industrial and now eco-tech products. It has an international customer base.

Investment rationale

Clamason was a sensibly priced MBO investment with a diverse range of customers and a heritage of 'know how' in the manufacture of complex presswork components. Its management had been running the company for a number of years and the rollover by the founders’ families into the MBO demonstrated their belief in the business and its team.

After a period in the 1980s where customers were all about cost-down and playing off suppliers against each other, there is now a more collaborative working relationship. Whilst cost is clearly of vital importance, suppliers are now appointed often on a sole supply basis, on long term programmes, with good visibility of revenue. Clamason was already designed into a number of automotive and medical platform products and was confident of increasing this with time. The presence of a site in Slovakia was deemed to provide some flexibility to operate post-Brexit.

As part of the growth programme, the intention was to become specialised in some key markets through FDA accreditation and new product developments, such as a specification technical cleaning service, which has since launched.  

Progress since investment

The company grew revenue successfully, hitting c£30m pre-Covid. It has implemented a number of its strategic initiatives, such as expanding automotive capability in Slovakia and new product developments in its supply of components to the burgeoning eco-tech industry. Clamason also launched, to great acclaim, its technical cleaning capabilities, which are extensively used in battery powered applications.

The company has won a number of new supply contracts on major vehicle platforms, many of which incorporate battery powered technology.