HISTORY

From 1974 to toolmaking today

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The latest production techniques from experienced toolmakers

Our co-founder Mike Jones, started his working life as an apprentice tool maker and it was during his apprenticeship that his passion for toolmaking began.

Having worked in the industry gaining valuable experience for a number of years, Mike, grasped an opportunity and made the leap and set up a pressed parts manufacturing company named MRM Engineers (West) Ltd in 1974 in Witney, Oxfordshire. Five presses and a spot welder were purchased. These were all placed into storage for six months until suitable premises were found. Once a site had been located, the company began operating in these premises and soon expanded into the larger building where we are situated today.

It was always my belief that good quality tools resulted in quality sustainable production

Mike Jones

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By 1976, the company was operating long hours every day to meet customer demand, and a dormant company was reinstated to bring press tool maintenance and manufacture in-house. This company was named Thornhill Production.

Throughout the 1980s, Thornhill Production and MRM grew exponentially and in 1996 they amalgamated with Cotswold Tool & Press (CTP), a tool design company owned by Mike’s son Martin who now runs the business. CTP is how we are known today.

Cotswold Tool & Press

Cotswold Tool & Press modernised the company to design tools using CAD and made major investments; the maximum press capacity was increased to 160t using the latest technology, including up-and-coming press and tool protection techniques. We future-proofed our systems for high-production toolmaking, and every year we take on new expertise, processes and technologies for continual improvements. These include wire erosion, computer numeric controlled (CNC) and coordinate measuring machinery (CMM), not forgetting our unique approach to manufacturing support.

Today, Cotswold Tool & Press continues to be a thriving family-owned business. We are dedicated to offering a complete toolmaking and production solution for pressed metal components.

In fact, innovation has always been a key differentiator for the company. We used computerised manufacturing software and barcoded despatch systems as far back as the early 80s, which at the time was rare for our size and level of business. Our innovations, paired with our capacity and enthusiasm to work closely with our customers at different stages of the design process, make us who we are today.

We’re a proud, dedicated, hardworking and innovative team of toolmakers based in the UK. We will support you when you need us, from design and consultancy through to high-quality production and distribution.

If you need high-quality toolmaking, contact us today

We have worked with Cotswold Tool and Press Ltd for 21 years at most levels of their capabilities: Tool production, manufacturing and specialist advice. At every stage of each project we have found the advice, tooling and production to exceed our expectations and we only anticipate ongoing collaboration of ever greater benefits for the next 21 years! CTP Ltd products, or products with their specialist contributions, are present in millions of our healthcare and mechanical furniture components around the globe meeting standards, never failing and eliminating a need for a service department.

Dale R – IP, Research and Development, Specialist Products