Wigan engineering firm posts record eight-figure turnover

Ainscough Industrial Services (AIS), the integrated engineering services provider, saw its takings hit a record high in 2015.

The Wigan-headquartered firm’s turnover grew to £42m in December, a year-on-year increase of 50%, while its staff count rose with the creation of 90 jobs.

Over the past five years, AIS’ turnover has risen by more than £30m, and now the company has set its sights on expanding in the food and beverage manufacturing market.

Matt Ainscough, CEO of AIS, has attributed the company’s record takings to the integration, over the last two years, of its various wholly owned subsidiaries into one combined service provider, a strategy he believes represents an integral blueprint for the future of the M&E sector.

He said: “The built environment sector, let alone the M&E arena, is changing at an unprecedented rate, and we knew that in order to survive, let alone succeed, we couldn’t stand still.

“But rather than spread ourselves too thinly, we took a decision to add, then combine additional related capabilities in order to provide our clients with an all-encompassing front-facing offer.”

He added: “Rather than competing for, as an example, subcontracted pipework or heavy lifting contracts, we are winning bigger integrated contracts as ‘one team’ direct from clients across the entire UK.”

Matt purchased the company, which was founded by his grandfather 34 years ago, in 2010.

Speaking further, he said: “By doing so, we know we’re putting ourselves up against a much larger market of competitors in addition to those that we’ve faced traditionally, but we believe our combined specialisms make us a perfect fit for industries that require precise, technically complex and time-critical support, relevant to the entire industrial sector.

“The immediate impact of the realignment has been outstanding with sales at our pipework subsidiary up 60% year on year (£6.5m).”

AIS employs 280 people across 10 UK sites, including a facility in Preston.