1974 was certainly a momentous year – with Abba winning the Eurovision Song Contest, the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali becoming one of the biggest sporting highlights of the 20th Century, and the year that Contact Attachments was established…

 

To celebrate 50 brilliant years in business, our Director Robert Taylor takes a moment to reflect on some of the key milestones throughout the years, and explore what’s next for the business:

 

1974 | “As two Mechanical Engineer Designers, myself and John Cufley (aged just 24), started a business: Contact Poweriser Ltd. It all began in a rented unit in Rochester, where we designed and created a whole host of custom equipment and attachments for businesses worldwide.

“Quickly, the company, our client base, and the products that we were tasked to fabricate expanded. During the following few years, we branched into manufacturing automatic specialised palletising, dispenser, and forklift products - and subsequently became the first company to develop and launch a complete range of innovative mechanical attachments. Through this, we secured contracts with global giants, including: Cadbury’s, Tate & Lyle, Tayto Crisps, and Hellman’s Mayonnaise.

 

1979 | “Needing more space and capacity to fulfil these orders, we significantly invested into enhancing our in-house capabilities and production facilities. As a result, we relocated to a much larger premises in Newtown, Powys – the same location that we still house today.

 

1987 | “We decided to streamline our focus, and niched into the forklift truck attachment sector. And it was around this time – after a name change (or two) over the years – that we settled upon Contact Attachments. We also began to build a team of highly-skilled experts, and established a comprehensive catalogue of components for sale.

 

1990s | “By adhering to our philosophy of offering first-class customer service, being on-hand to offer technical help and guidance, and manufacturing high-quality products at competitive prices, our company continued to prosper. Plus, exciting new opportunities in the overseas market also further developed our brand beyond the UK (and European) shores.

 

Present Day | “If we skip to the present day, we’re delighted to have continued with this innovative spirit, advancing our off-the-shelf attachment availability to now offering over 300 (which provides over 1000 different product variants) - and not to mention, our specialist bespoke service too.

“Plus, we’re proud to have become a leading employer. We decided to abolish official job titles (removing the perceived hierarchy they often create), ensuring that our entire team is always respected, empowered, and supported in their individual roles. Testament to this, many employees have been with the company for 20+ years – this loyalty and dedication is absolutely appreciated, and ensures our customers benefit from true experts in their field.

“And it’s important that at this moment while reflecting on the key business milestones, that we also recognise and remember the continued guidance, managerial excellence, and long-lasting impact of the late and much-respected Des Phillips and John Cufley. Ultimately, they were both integral in how we operate today, and while we miss them terribly, their legacy continues within the company.

 

What’s Next | “Well, it’s certainly been a busy 50 years – but we’re just getting started. We remain committed to serving the material handling industry, dedicated to maintaining our reputation as premier solutions providers, and – above all – are passionate about providing our industry with a professional, experienced, and reliable resource to call upon when facing any material handling challenge.”