2021 has been an eventful year for Daltons Wadkin – celebrating its 120-year anniversary, recording record sales across all departments, welcoming new staff members to the expanding team, being nominated for the prestigious Made in the Midlands award, becoming an official SCM machinery partner, and opening an extended showroom and demonstration area.
Founded in 1901, Daltons Wadkin is the longest-established woodworking machinery supplier in the UK. Now under the watchful eye of fourth-generation family member Alex Dalton, the company has welcomed in its 120-year anniversary against a backdrop of soaring demand and a global pandemic.
“There is never a dull day’” comments MD, Alex. “We, like most of the industry, have been fortunate enough to be on the positive end of the pandemic. Demand for both new and pre-owned machinery has never been higher. Requests for operator training and service contracts have also been in huge demand. I often wonder what my late father and uncle would have made of it all ...”
To help keep pace with demand and ensure continuity of service for its customers, Daltons Wadkin has taken on new staff in all departments. “We have welcomed both newbies to the industry as well as seasoned professionals to our service, training and engineering departments,” continues Alex. “We have around 35 staff members now, and are looking to recruit further into Q4’”
The past year and a half has had its challenges, too. Like the majority of businesses, Daltons Wadkin was impacted by the arrival of Covid-19 and, in line with the Government guidelines, was forced to close its doors in March 2020.
The real success and achievements of this business lie in how it responded and adapted to the pandemic in order to remain current during a pivotal period in its history – a fact recognised by a nomination for the Insider Media Made in the Midlands award.
A key strength of Daltons Wadkin is its relationships with leading European manufacturing specialists, and 2021 saw the start of a new partnership between Daltons Wadkin and SCM.
“I have always admired the professionalism of the SCM brand,” enthuses Alex. “Their offering of high-quality, Italian-built machinery dovetails perfectly into our existing portfolio of solid wood- and panel-processing equipment. It is early days, but already we have seen significant sales across the range, with new stock arriving almost daily’.”
An impressive range of SCM equipment joins Altendorf panel saws, Elcon wall saws, Kimla CNC equipment, Salvador crosscut saws and Stenner band resaws in Daltons Wadkin’s Nottingham showroom. To allow sufficient space for showcasing the huge range of machinery on display, the showroom and demonstration area has been expended by a further +50%.
“Demonstration is key for us. When viewed in person, the build quality, performance and advantages of the machinery we offer is immediately evident,” says Alex. “Our recent Wood & Panel Machinery Show was testament to this, and we continue to welcome anyone looking to take advantage of our specialist services.”
For more information on the range of equipment and services offered by Daltons Wadkin, call 0115 986 5201 or email info@daltonswadkin.com.
