MBO celebrates 20 years of success

NSF solenoids and switches are used globally across defence and security applications, for automotive, utilities, medical and leisure functions, and breakthrough industrial and commercial automation.

The original company can be traced back to 1931 but it was the management buyout in 1997 that formed NSF Controls Ltd. Following a merger between owners Lucas Industries and Varity Corporation in 1996, NSF Controls was amongst several divisions considered surplus to future requirement. However, the management team and employees saw potential, taking the lead in the successful MBO.

Since then, the company has seen on-going investment in advanced tooling and manufacturing facilities as well as the development of its accreditations. Now, BSI Quality Management System ISO 9001 accredited, NSF Controls operates a world-class UK manufacturing base employing around 100 people, with several part of the original MBO team.

Offering a wide range of solenoids and switches from a single source, NSF Controls has focused on taking a more advanced approach to product development, engineering and technology; the company’s specialist components often providing a foundation for the development of bespoke solutions, driving forward technological breakthroughs that improve performance and capability of client products and services.

From minor modifications to custom designs for progressive new applications, NSF Controls’ wide-reaching engineering expertise, integrated manufacturing and assembly skills enable all aspects of development to be progressed in-house, with 90% of output, customised.

Increasingly, NSF Controls is involved with more technically demanding challenges. Successful innovations include the improvement in performance and power consumption of one client's mobile phone charger lockers. To date, in excess of five million charges have been provided and four million more chargers forecast annually.

The company has also developed and progressed to manufacture a revolutionary non-sequential control switch for the guitar market.

The Free-Way's patented design is now the choice of many guitarists and sold through distributors in Europe and America. For the locker and vending sector, NSF Controls custom designed and manufactured a solution for a client's inventory control system.

Another significant success has been the re-design of a pre-payment meter gas valve, delivering a more cost-effective unit, an 80% reduction in weight and no reduction in performance.