Pen Cutting Tools Ltd

Established in 1968, Pen Cutting Tools is a second-generation ‘super precision’ computer numerical control facility (CNC) based in Sheffield, offering wire erosion, grinding and hard turning precision engineering services. The business supplies a wide range of industries, including bearing manufacturing, automotive, machine construction, aerospace and education sectors.

John Shaw, who took the family business over and guided the business from strength to strength from the 1990’s, says:

After my son decided not to take the family business on, it was a difficult and sad decision to sell the company, as I needed to retire and leave the employees in a settled position.

We employed a broker with little success as most of the potential purchasers could not meet my expectations.

We wanted someone who would move the business forward and keep up the standards of quality and service our customers had come to expect over our 50-year family ownership.

Eventually a friend put me in touch with threesixty Investments and Peter Raybould came and had an initial meeting. We both seemed to have the same ideas of what a manufacturing company should be looking for in the future and we moved on to a full meeting with all the owners of threesixty investments.

We quickly agreed a purchase plan and the process from that point was swift, professional and met exactly what we had agreed at the time and a year on still meets what they promised on all points.

I am still with the company a year after completion. I have now agreed to work for the business on a consultancy basis, largely due to having been impressed with the threesixty team, alongside which I am very happy to work.

I would definitely have no hesitation in recommending them as a forward thinking, progressive and professional company.

— John Shaw