A Poole engineering company that has been manufacturing precision components for more than half a century has been sold, securing the future of its business, workforce and Dorset base.
Priest Engineering, founded in 1972 by Douglas Priest and led for the past 35 years by his son Mark, has been acquired by Essex-based Xcel Aerospace for an undisclosed sum.
The company employs around 30 people at its Holton Heath facility and provides precision sheet metal fabrication, CNC machining and assembly services for sectors including aerospace and defence. Its customers include major manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce.
Mark Priest, who joined the business on the shop floor in 1984 before becoming managing director in 1991, said finding the right buyer had been his priority.
‘I knew I couldn’t keep going forever, so securing the future of the team, the business and its reputation was very important to me,’ he said. ‘I wanted to find a buyer who would grow and protect everything we’ve built.’
The sale process, which took 24 months, was supported by Dorset firms Ward Goodman and Steele Raymond. It includes the company’s manufacturing premises at Holton Heath.
For Xcel Aerospace, the acquisition marks its first move into Dorset. Director Harry Cuadrado said Priest Engineering’s skilled workforce and reputation made it ‘a great fit’ for the business.
The deal also reflects the continued strength of Dorset’s advanced manufacturing sector, with companies across the county supplying specialist engineering services to international aerospace, defence and industrial markets. By securing new investment while retaining its local operation, Priest Engineering looks set to continue that tradition under new ownership.
priest-engineering.co.uk
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