This August, power quality specialist CP Automation celebrates 20 years since opening its doors. Over the years, it has grown from humble beginnings in a Hull warehouse to becoming a trusted partner across the globe for automation, drives and power quality solutions — and here’s the major milestones so far.
CP Automation’s journey began in 2003 in Hull, born from a collection of separate businesses that soon outgrew their original premises. By 2005, CP Automation had established itself in Scunthorpe, operating from a basic warehouse that the team transformed with purpose-built offices and workshops.
In 2011, the company’s founders, Tony Young and Chris Chu, brought John Mitchell on board as global business development manager. A few years later, he progressed to Global Sales and Marketing Director, leading the company’s marketing strategy while building strong partnerships across the world. This marked a turning point in CP Automation’s growth, laying the groundwork for international expansion and helping establish a forward-looking commercial vision.
“Our customers want problem-solvers, not box-shifters, which means keeping up to date with a changing market,” explained Mitchell. “Over the years, we’ve evolved from traditional engineering practices to more energy-efficient, value-driven solutions. For example, rather than just offering brake resistors, we now supply regen systems and power quality technologies like harmonic filters and SineTamer. We also offer a wide portfolio of services, ranging from power quality surveys to service and support contracts.”
Another milestone came in 2020 with the acquisition of Magnetek’s elevator division, bringing new capabilities and talent into the business. The new members included Brian Preston, who now leads CP Automation’s elevator operations. His recent promotion to Global Business Manager – Elevator underscores the company’s ambition to further expand its offering into the global lift market.
“We’ve significantly expanded the business by drawing on the strengths of our other divisions — and this has been key over the last few years,” explains Preston. “From developing wireless lift installation radio controls with the help of our cranes team, to energy and power supply monitoring with our power quality team and UPS supply and servicing with our services division.”
“These synergies reflect the directors’ long-term vision for global growth,” added Preston. “To support that, we’re investing heavily in skills, having three apprentices with us currently.”
In addition, CP Automation expanded into the crane sector in 2022 with the appointment of Andy Swann as Business Development Manager. Andy brought decades of experience, helping develop the company’s crane and power transmission offering while supporting a wider range of products, including wireless radios and crane-specific drives.
“The launch of the Crane and Power Transmission division marked an important milestone in CPA’s growth,” adds Swann. “There was already a strong foundation in place, but bringing in a dedicated team meant we could focus and build on that momentum.”
As part of its expansion, CP Automation also opened a French office, helping it serve its growing customer base in the region. Those at the office include Christophe Schwandner, whose role focuses on sales around obsolescence management and the paper industry. Also, there is Jack Young, who recently completed an apprenticeship to become a junior technical salesman.
The company also has a presence in South Africa, led by Jim Rosser, who has been with CP Automation for ten years now. Over the years, Jim has served in multiple roles in the EMEA region, helping the company expand its global profile.
“Legislation, rising energy costs and growing environmental awareness are all pushing sector-wide innovation – and will help guide us over the next 20 years,” added Mitchell. “Now we have a presence in Europe and South Africa too, we want to lead in automation and power quality, using more cutting-edge technologies like AI to support customers. While we expect to grow, our founding principles will always be there to guide our team.”
As CP Automation celebrates 20 years of keeping industry in motion, the team is ready to help you solve the next big challenge. Explore the company’s full range of solutions at www.cpaltd.net or contact the team today.
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