Rotamec turns 20

Celebrating its 20th birthday this May, the story of Rotamec has been defined by a 24/7 service from its very beginning. It’s an ethos that will drive the business into the future too.

Specialising in the repair and sourcing of motors, pumps, gearboxes and associated power transmission components, Rotamec is a key maintenance partner for leading companies in the utilities, food & beverage, healthcare, facilities management, printing and agricultural sectors. Its growth has been driven by a highly responsive 24/7 365 days a year service, an ability to adapt to engineering challenges and the commitment of its employees.

Founder and Managing Director, Simon Brooks, set these precedents early on: “When I started Rotamec after years working for other engineering companies, it was just me on call 24/7. It was hard work, but this approach has defined our service as we have grown. In most cases, our on-site teams can be with a customer within hours after an emergency call out. We aim to provide quality repairs fast to minimise downtime.”

From Simon, Rotamec has expanded to four branches in Cheddar, Exeter, South Wales and Redditch – altogether totalling over 28,000 sq. ft of floorspace. This includes machining centres, testing facilities and offices. The business has recently grown with the move to larger sites in Exeter and Pontypool, expanding available floorspace to accommodate bigger projects. New cranage is being installed as well, part of a program of continual reinvestment.

“Over the years we’ve had to be adaptable,” Simon explains. “We have an ability to improvise and redesign equipment when needed. An example that comes to mind is a butter machine operated by a cheese producer that failed. The machine itself was over 40 years old and there were no spares available - so we had to rethink its design. Luckily, thanks to our remanufacturing capabilities, we could rebuild the machine to a new specification quickly. Overcoming these challenges to minimise customer downtime has always been our specialty over the years.”

Incorporating new blood into the business is a passion for Simon. In 2019, Rotamec was awarded the ‘Contribution to Skills & Training’ Award by The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) for its grassroots apprentice training initiative. Visiting schools and education centres, Rotamec identifies learners with a burgeoning passion for engineering, providing them with opportunities to experience all aspects of the business. “It’s an old school approach,” Simon admits, “but I’ve always been convinced that if you offer young people the chance to gain experience in the aspect of engineering they really enjoy, they will flourish in a working environment.

“This milestone hasn’t been achieved alone. I would like to thank all of our customers over the years for entrusting us with their equipment. Your loyalty has been the key to our success. Furthermore, I’m proud of all our passionate employees who have enabled us to maintain the close relationships and high service levels we have with our customers. A big thank you to everyone.”