Sumitomo (SHI) Demag strengthens market presence in the UK and Ireland

Nigel Flowers (L) Managing Director of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK with David Raine, new member of the SDUK Board of Directors (effective December 1, 2022)

Bolstering its market presence in the UK and Ireland, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery (UK) Ltd (SDUK) -  a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag GmbH, Schwaig – is making a number of investments to further advance its sales activities in the UK and Ireland. This includes growing the SDUK management team with the appointment of David Raine to the Board of Directors. Assuming overall responsibility for sales, Raine, who has worked within the British and Irish plastics industry for 28 years, among others for Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and then a Japanese machine manufacturer, returns to the company on December 1, 2022.

By the end of 2023, David Raine will assume overall responsibility for Sumitomo (SHI) Demag in the UK and Ireland, succeeding Nigel Flowers. After 20 years leading SDUK, Flowers will move into new roles within the Group before retiring.Under Flower’s leadership, SDUK has maintained its position as one of the Group’s best-positioned subsidiaries. "We would like to thank Nigel Flowers for his 20 years of commitment, loyalty and successful leadership," says Group CEO Gerd Liebig.

“The services and training delivered by SDUK are among the most widely used on the market. Based on strong technical expertise and advice, we now want to expand our automation offering and specifically strengthen our organisation’s presence in the Irish market," explains Liebig. “Additionally, we are keen to continue increasing and sharing our industry-led expertise in both markets. Given the current high energy prices, this includes showcasing our world leadership in all-electric injection moulding machinery. As an experienced and recognised expert in the plastics industry, David Raine is the ideal candidate with a strong and stable outlook for growth.“

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has been present in the UK since 1974. Now regarded as one of the leading importers of injection moulding machines, the SDUK subsidiary holds an approximate 15 percent market share and specialises in supplying complete turnkey solutions. The company’s extensive customer base comprises manufacturers of automotive, IT, packaging, electronics, pharmaceutical, life sciences, construction and leisure products and components. Currently servicing more than 1,800 injection moulding machines in the UK and Ireland, around 400 customers depend on the SDUK team to deliver quality guidance, service support and technical expertise.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has shaped the development of the plastics industry from its very beginning. As a specialist for injection moulding machines for plastics processing, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and its Japanese parent company are leading the industry.

The global development and production network of Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is comprised of four facilities in Japan, Germany and China with more than 3,100 employees. The product portfolio includes all-electric, hydraulic and hybrid injection moulding machines with clamping forces of between 500 and 15.000 kN. With more than 162,000 installed machines, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is present in important global markets and ranks among the largest manufacturers of injection moulding machines in the world.

At Sumitomo’s headquarters in Chiba, Japan, the company manufactures machines with clamping forces in the small to medium range. Nearly 95 % of all delivered machines are equipped with an all-electric drive concept. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s German facilities in Schwaig and Wiehe produce the Systec Servo range with hybrid drive as well as the El-Exis SP and Systec SP range of high-speed, high-performance machines. The all-electric IntElect range for international customers is also being produced in Germany.

As early as 1998, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag set up its first production site in Ningbo/China. In 2015, the Chinese subsidiary Demag Plastics Machinery (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. installed a new facility with a 13,000 m² floor space. It is earmarked for the production of the Systec C range with clamping forces of between 500 and 10,000 kN for the Asian market.

In addition to injection moulding machines, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag offers customised and standardised systems for the part handling automation, technical and process solutions for special applications, tailored services and service concepts as well as a range of financial options to support investment in injection moulding machines.