New PP Control & Automation CEO eyes growth through acquisition in North America and central Europe

PP Control & Automation (PP C&A), which works with many global machine builders, has named Pinaki Banerjee as its chief executive officer, with Tony Hague stepping down to pursue a purely commercial and customer-focused role within the business.

The appointment is part of the firm’s long-term succession plan and comes at a crucial time in its growth, with the possibility of increasing its manufacturing footprint into central Europe and North America through a series of acquisitions.

This will provide the manufacturer with the potential to double its revenue through a combination of organic and inorganic growth between now and 2027.

“PP Control & Automation is at an exciting stage of its development,” explained Pinaki, who previously led a 900-strong team as CEO of the central eastern Europe region of Rubix. “Under the excellent leadership of Tony, the firm has become a world-class manufacturing specialist, working with some of the biggest global machinery builders. The foundations are set, and our reputation in the U.K. and parts of North America is strong. Our opportunity now is to take this strategic manufacturing service offer to new markets, and central Europe is definitely the first territory in our sights.”

He continued: “In order to gain market share there, you have to boost your own manufacturing footprint, and we believe the best way to do this is through acquisition. If we can find the right domestic company that shares our values and brings a new engineering discipline into the mix, then that would be utopia. This isn’t a pipedream; this is the target within the first twelve months. That’s why my skills in M&A activity and global operations, honed through many decades and across different markets, will be crucial.”

Previous roles at Rubix, Hoffman Group and Pilkington have given Pinaki insight into more than 90 different international markets, and, during that time, he has overseen the completion of five acquisitions.

Pinaki continued: “Consolidation is happening all around us, with the fittest and best-practice companies absorbing more market share and incorporating new solutions. With the acceleration in digital transformation, I can only see this growing, and PP Control & Automation is perfectly set up to win both organic work and to expand through M&A. First in central Europe and then in North America is where I’m looking to take us, whilst all along ensuring the U.K. remains our world-class manufacturing center.”

PP Control & Automation, which employs more than 200 people at its state-of-the-art facility in the West Midlands, helps build machines that robotically milk cows, provide everyday packaging solutions, protects phones from water damage and cuts parts that are used in F1 cars and the world’s airlines.

Significant investment in automation and delivering more than 200 hours of personal-development opportunities to every team member has seen significant growth since 2000.

Tony Hague, who has overseen this expansion, picked up the story (Figure 1). “After 24 years at the helm it was time for a new pair of eyes to take the company to the next stage, and I’m extremely excited to see what Pinaki can bring to PP C&A,” he said. “In short, it’s a massive coup for us to attract someone of his international experience. I’m going to remain in the business, focusing on key accounts and helping to drive commercial activity. My heart will always be here, so it was the sensible decision and frees me up to explore more volunteering and trustee roles, which I’m keen to do.”