Claydon expands factory in West Suffolk to meet record demand
19th April 2023
Having seen unprecedented demand for its innovative Claydon Opti-Till agricultural crop establishment machinery, family-owned UK manufacturer Claydon Yield-o-Meter Ltd has expanded its factory in Wickhambrook, West Suffolk, with the new
Having seen unprecedented demand for its innovative Claydon Opti-Till agricultural crop establishment machinery, family-owned UK manufacturer Claydon Yield-o-Meter Ltd has expanded its factory in Wickhambrook, West Suffolk, with the new purpose-built building expected to double production capacity and create numerous additional jobs.
The project was supported by a £267,400 Growing Business Fund grant from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (NALEP) and will help the company meet an exponential increase in orders.
Demand is expected to grow further in 2023 as the business works with its dealer and distributor partners in existing and new markets to develop sales of its Evolution and Hybrid drills, Straw Harrows, TerraStar light cultivators and TerraBlade inter-row hoes.
Company CEO Jeff Claydon commented: “Unlike many other companies in the UK farm machinery sector which import machinery made overseas we design, test and manufacture all our products from scratch, employ local staff and benefit the UK businesses which supply us.”
Mr Claydon, who is himself an arable farmer, founded the company in 1981 to launch the Claydon Yield-o-Meter, the first device to provide an accurate ‘real-time’ reading of crop yields on a display in the cab of a combine harvester.
In 2001, when combinable crop production using traditional establishment methods was no longer economic due to falling grain prices, Mr Claydon developed the Opti-Till Direct Strip Seeding System to reduce costs without adversely impacting output, thereby securing the future of his family’s farm.
Today, the system is helping farmers save the equivalent of up to £250 per hectare on crop establishment costs across a wide range of soil types and conditions.
Opti-Till combines proven stubble management and strip seeding techniques to enable farming businesses to operate much more efficiently, profitably, and sustainably, using just 10 per cent of the fuel required for a traditional plough-based system. This comes in addition to significant yield, soil fertility and environment benefits.
Expanding to meet demand in the face of uncertainties
Global demand for Claydon products has grown ten-for since 2010, and the company is expecting sales to grow exponentially during 2023, despite the undoubted challenges. Like many other UK companies, Claydon must navigate the effects of Brexit, which has made exporting to Europe considerably more difficult, time consuming and expensive.
In 2015, Claydon was awarded the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership grant to help the business develop in three stages. The first of these was the construction of new offices adjoining the company’s existing production facility to house additional staff to meet the needs of its growing customer base in the UK and overseas.
Blending in with the existing workshop building and surrounding countryside to minimise their visual impact, the two-storey offices provide 365m2 of accommodation for up to 27 full and part-time staff on the top level.
The ground floor is dedicated to visitors and includes two meeting rooms, a dealer training and presentation studio which can accommodate up to 50 people, as well as commercial-grade catering facilities.
What’s more, a £100,000 investment in solar technologies supplies the building with 100kW/h of electrical energy, reducing reliance on the National Grid at the site and minimising the company’s carbon footprint.
The second stage in the company’s development, which has just been completed, involved the construction of a new assembly building on the footprint of derelict former farm buildings and was sorely needed for the business to grow, Mr Claydon remarked.
“The company is growing rapidly and massively, a highly skilled team is in place, but additional production capacity is needed to manufacture Claydon Opti-Till® products to fulfil demand from markets all over the world, including the UK where sales have doubled.
“Momentum is building strongly, helped by our presence at overseas trade shows, together with the ongoing expansion of our global network of importers, agents, and dealers in 22 countries, whose local knowledge and support gives potential customers confidence to invest in UK-manufactured products,” he added.
The decision to proceed with the development marked the company’s 40th anniversary in July 2021. The footings were completed by Claydon staff in winter 2021 and construction began the following summer. Although the project was managed in-house, due to delays in obtaining contractors and materials as a result of Brexit and Covid-19, progress was slower than anticipated, Mr Claydon noted.
Having gone through major expansion, the company’s focus now is to recruit additional staff to fill the range of vacancies available at its Wickhambrook factory.
With the requirement for staff in the assembly and yard area alone set to triple in 2023, the company is looking to fill rewarding opportunities across all sectors of its business, from design, procurement and sales positions to welding, painting, fabrication, and assembly roles.
Oliver Claydon, the company’s commercial director, said: “This significant investment we have made in these new production facilities will help us to take a quantum leap forward to meet demand for Claydon products and is a key part of our long-term plan to develop the potential which exists all over the world.”
A Claydon Evolution M6 drill operating on the Claydon farm.
