2018, Another Bumper Year for Reel Service Ltd

December 19, 2018

As we started 2018, it looked difficult to surpass the fantastic year that was 2017 which saw record levels of business and growth at Reel Service Ltd.  However, as we now look back at 2018 it has turned into yet another bumper year with many headline stories to recount.

For our Tape & Reel service side of the business, another £500,000 has been invested in plant, facilities and new automation, all introduced to increase efficiencies, enhance our state-of-the-art processing capabilities and ensure that our services remain competitive.  The new PVI (Package Visual Inspection) or surface inspection capabilities integrated onto one new machine has already helped capture new business for an important customer within the automotive sector.  The flexibility of a new bowl input tape & reel machine has also provided a new capability allowing the tape & reel of customer product from loose/bulk input.

As our customer base and equipment set increases then of course our staffing must increase also and 2018 saw a headcount increase of 10% spread across all departments.  This increase also permitted the extension of working hours with a new weekend shift being introduced in order to provide a more linear lead-time for our customers accross the whole week irrespective of when their orders are received.

Our materials side of the business also enjoyed a fantastic year with an impressive 20% increase in sales.  This was aided by the introduction of increases in efficiencies and the implementation of new process innovations into our carrier tape manufacturing process.

Overall, across all departments sales are up 17% over the record year of 2017 making 2018 another stellar year for Reel Service Ltd.

However, we cannot stand still and already we have many irons in the fire for 2019 with another £500,000 worth of investments planned for equipment & plant to expand our capabilities and ensure that Reel Service continues to keep pace with its customers and provide them with the competitive state-of-the-art services and materials they require.

After returning from the ASTI Group Budget meeting in December, Reel Service Ltd Managing Director Gary Smith confirmed, ‘we shall  continue to invest in people and in the latest equipment to ensure we continue to meet the high standards expected from our existing and new customers’.

As the electronics industry continues to grow; Reel Service are poised to benefit from this and look forward to an even more successful 2019 and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers and suppliers for their support throughout 2018 and wish them a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.