Now that’s what I call a milestone: Summit Systems turns 30
From humble beginnings in a garage to becoming one of the UK’s leading suppliers of plastics ancillary equipment, the last 30 years have ‘charted’a success story for Summit Systems. In the following feature, BP&R takes a closer look at the company’s.
1989: Garage band?
Where many of his peers might’ve been using empty garages to practice becoming the next Spandau Ballet, Mike Jordan chose to use one to start up a business selling plastics ancillary equipment. After breaking away from his job in injection moulding at Midlands-based Peerless Foam Moulding, Jordan started a small company in Telford. After four years, he saw an opportunity to combine the best innovations with quality service and Summit Systems was incorporated.
“Funded by good faith and a small loan, we lined up MB conveyors, Moretto loading and drying equipment and the unique Maguire blender, which was something like the industry had never seen, and so with that we were off,” explained Jordan. Accompanied by colleague Chris Bailey, the first employee on the payroll and who still works for Summit 30 years later, the company started selling.
1990: Interplas hits the right notes
After deciding to exhibit for the first time at UK plastics trade show, Interplas, the Chairman of the UK’s biggest packaging company requested a trial of the Maguire blenders on display, leading to the sale of hundreds of units.
Later that year, after the installation of its first central material handling systems the garage workspace was “starting to burst at the seams,” according to Jordan, who decided to upgrade to bigger premises.
1993: Oil’s well
The premises of choice for Summit’s growing business was an oil-contaminated factory, which, with the help of the local rugby club was fully refurbished before the firm occupied the space as its new home.
1994: A blue note
As the business grew, so did its portfolio of blue-chip customers. Recognising the need to increase the service provision for such high-profile businesses needing the security of full cover, Summit implemented a 24/7 service offering. “We were the first company of our type to introduce a genuine guaranteed service,” continued Jordan. “It’s something we’ve continued ever since.”
1997: Hot space
Following further expansion, the company began to run out of space, resulting in a 50 percent increase in warehouse capacity.
1999: Moving on up
Despite the increase in warehouse space, continued growth saw Summit move for a third time. However, this time the company took up residence in a new, 2,700 sq. ft. factory in Tame Park, Tamworth. Combined with Maguire Europe, the premises gave plenty of room for growth and is still where the company is based today.
2002: Awards season
When the Plastics Awards introduced its first ‘Ancillary’ category, Summit entered and subsequently triumphed as ‘Supplier of the Year’. The trophy gave the firm a taste for awards success, becoming the first in a long line of accolades.
2006: Jumping hurdles
In a busy year for Summit, the company faced a hurdle when one of their major suppliers, Moretto, proposed an agreement that they couldn’t agree to. “Moretto were a great supplier but were keen to have us supply exclusively at the expense of our independence,” explained Jordan. “As a result, we welcomed a new supplier, Plastic Systems, who, along with our design team, manufactured a loading system, Matrix, with great success.”
In addition to the new supplier partnership with Plastic Systems, Summit also added Tecnomagnete products to its range, which offered customers reduced tool-change times and improved productivity, as well as products from Movacolor. “As the world leader in gravimetric dosing machines, once we added Movaolor’s products to our offering we experienced phenomenal growth compared to volumetric counterparts,” recalled Jordan.
2007: Branching Out
In order to give better control and prices for all integration products, bins and bespoke items, the company established Summit Fabrications, adding yet another arm to the growing business.
2008: En Vogue
Always on the lookout for new products to add to Summit’s portfolio, 2008 marked the year where a reluctant Jordan was persuaded to test a Vismec dryer – a decision that turned out to be hugely beneficial for the company. “Vismec’s owner asked me to test this new ‘revolutionary rotary dryer,” explained Jordan. “After some persuasion we agreed, and I am so glad we did! The product was incredibly well received and became the best-selling dehumidifying dryer on the market.”
Other new products added included items from Zerma’s size reduction range. “This became an important addition, especially considering recycling was so ‘en vogue’,” Jordan continued.
2010: (Labor) Saving the day
After years of being asked for automatic bag splitting devices due to spot purchasing, Summit started supplying the Laborsave fully automated system.
2011-2015: A Booming shame
Whilst Zerma helped grow the company’s offering in recycling machinery, Summit added both Moitec, for no-dust specialist applications, as well as teaming up with Tria to dominate the blow moulding and extrusion market for high quality production scrap reclamation.
During this time, ‘Boomerang Plastics’ was set-up to understand recycling first hand. Boomerang focused on recycling contaminated plastic packaging, utilising recycling machinery provided by Summit’s recycling portfolio. However, in early 2016, the company decided to pull the plug on Boomerang after four years of operation. “We were simply ahead of our time,” said Jordan. “Boomerang would be a huge success with the new approach to recycling, it is a shame.”
2017: Cool Runnings
Summit Systems started to expand its range with some extensive research, partnering with Frigel, the Italian temperature control specialists. This partnership lead to the formation of Summit Chilled, a whole new division for the company, offering “process cooling with a difference.”
2018: Total Tech
In what Jordan describes as “the year of the technology”, Summit employed three new engineers focusing on Industry 4.0. The new engineers developed IoT solutions integrated with Summit Systems’ supervisory system.
Towards the end of 2018 Summit acquired Total Process Cooling to form ‘SUMMIT-TPC’. “The addition of TPC complements our offering from Frigel perfectly,” explained Jordan.
2019: The Big 3-0
Looking ahead to 2019 and beyond, Jordan says the focus for 2019 is to continue to build on Summit’s portfolio of products that provide accuracy, energy efficiency and production savings.