MD appointed for UK and European operations

Hardide Coatings, the provider of ultra-hard surface engineering technology, has appointed Neill Ricketts as managing director to head the company UK and European operations

Hardide Coatings, the provider of ultra-hard surface engineering technology, has appointed Neill Ricketts as managing director to head their UK and European operations, and enable CEO Jim Murray-Smith to focus on the next stage of international growth.

Ricketts brings 18 years of operations, production and surface engineering experience.

He joins from Kronos Engineering Solutions, the auto and motor-racing advanced engineering and manufacturing group, where he was managing director.

Prior to this, he spent five years to 2003 with surface engineering firm Poeton Industries as production, then general manager.

He holds a B Eng (Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Salford and is completing an MBA (Operations) from the University of Gloucestershire.

Jim Murray-Smith, chief executive officer of Hardide said: "Hardide has expanded rapidly over the last year, and Neill's appointment will allow me to focus on further growth in both new markets and sectors.

Neill combines heavyweight operations, engineering and business qualifications with 15 years of high technology production, manufacturing and surface engineering experience.

He will concentrate on the continual improvement of our UK and European operations and on growing our current customer base in these regions".

UK-based Hardide Coatings has developed a unique tungsten carbide based coating which offers an unprecedented combination of ultra-hardness, toughness, low friction and chemical resistance when applied to components made from steel, alloy and other materials.

Together with features such as its ability to coat internal surfaces, Hardide is proven to outperform competing technologies across many measures.

The patented coating is widely used around the world in aggressive wear or chemical environments primarily in the oil and gas, valve, pump and aerospace industries.

The company has manufacturing plants in Bicester, Oxfordshire and Houston, Texas.

Hardide will be exhibiting at the Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas from 30 April - 3 May 2007 and Offshore Europe, Aberdeen, Scotland from 4 - 7 September 2007.

Back to top