Craig & Derricott (C&D) is a century-old pillar in the UK’s electrical switchgear industry. Unlike many competitors who trade products, C&D takes pride in being a sales and engineering powerhouse uniquely equipped to design, manufacture, and customise switchgear solutions to meet specific needs.
“The biggest challenge in manufacturing switchgear is lead times, but we work to minimise them with our agile approach,” says Kevin Miller, managing director at Craig & Derricott Ltd. Kevin oversees daily operations with the support of a strong management team and emphasises the firm’s ability to respond swiftly to unusual or specific requests. Within a few hours of receiving a request, the company gains a clear understanding of the design and manufacturing requirements, including the necessary components. Depending on the product, production often begins within 48 hours.
As a small-scale organisation with 90 staff members, C&D benefits from having fewer departmental layers, enabling quick decision-making and allowing for the immediate design and production of switchgear to meet client demands. The entire team operates from the same building, ensuring constant communication and making it easy to address urgent or unusual requirements quickly. This streamlined communication and responsiveness are among the company’s core strengths.
This agility is supported by its parent company, Addtech, a large Swedish multinational business group. Addtech’s unique business model allows C&D to operate independently without micromanagement, enhancing its operational efficiency and setting C&D apart from larger manufacturing firms.
While many manufacturers rely heavily on automated production, C&D adopts a unique approach that prioritises agility, leading to the design of handmade isolation switchgear equipment. Hand-built switchgear supports the company’s extensive production requirements, enhancing responsiveness and flexibility in operations. The switchgear is exquisitely designed with a spacious enclosure to streamline the installation process by avoiding intricate wiring manoeuvres and an inbuilt template to locate mounting holes on the wall.
The biggest challenge in manufacturing switchgear is lead times, but we are able to minimise them with our agile innovative approach.
The company’s switchgear products are customised for clients in three sectors—automatic transfer switches, construction and railway. The equipment designers in these sectors possess exceptional academic qualifications and skills. To enhance the productivity and efficiency of these employees, the company assigns the designers to one department. Without established production lines, all responsibilities are entrusted to a single operator who builds the switch, mounts the unit in the enclosure, and ensures the final product passes quality checks.
In addition to rigorously testing the switchgear, C&D invests in building an efficient workforce. Recruits undergo several months of training before being allowed to work unsupervised, ensuring that a highly skilled team develops the company’s products. This approach enables C&D to offer clients customised, high-quality equipment at reasonable prices.
Numerous success stories illustrate C&D’s ability to produce high-quality switchgear tailored to client needs. For instance, the company demonstrated its commitment to sustainability through collaboration with a large rail company by developing customised LED lighting for their trains.
Within four months, C&D developed a solution that exceeded the customer’s expectations, operating at just 10 per cent of the previous product’s cost while delivering excellent light output. Its rigorous testing allows the firm to offer a five-year warranty, more than doubling the two-year coverage offered by competitors. This has been a significant success, providing a superior product at a lower cost.
The company demonstrates this eco-conscious approach by operating within a well-insulated building with LED lighting and utilising electric or hybrid vehicles for its field sales team. Along with purchasing electricity exclusively from ethically and sustainably sourced companies, it prioritises sourcing components from the UK to minimise the environmental impact of long-distance shipping. Addtech further simplifies sourcing through its extensive network and ensures its subsidiaries, including C&D, align with Sweden’s rigorous sustainability standards.
The C&D team is absolutely integral to the company’s success, providing the agility, knowledge, design, and production capabilities necessary to effectively meet client requirements. While the area sales managers contribute by sharing product knowledge with clients, the customer service team ensures efficient client support and problem resolution. By prioritising innovation and employee collaborations, C&D produces high-quality equipment, paving the way for a stable and sustainable future.
