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- AES was founded in 1979 by entrepreneur Chris Rea
An engineering firm that made gaskets for the Thames Barrier has announced record profits after a major investment in its “factory of the future”.
Founded in 1979 by entrepreneur Chris Rea, AES employs 2,000 people in 43 countries and its sealing devices are found in pumps used in industries including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and pulp and paper.
Newly filed accounts show pre-tax profit rose to £56m in 2023 from £48m in 2022, while turnover rose £26m to £260m.
Success story: AES Engineering employs 2,000 people in 43 countries
This was despite £31m of capital expenditure, including a factory at its Rotherham, South Yorkshire, headquarters to improve automation and productivity.
“My new factory is my yacht and the machines inside are my Ferraris,” Rea told The Mail on Sunday.
“We have eliminated all unnecessary human intervention from the process.”
Rea calls AES a “reliability company” that helps businesses save energy and water and operate more cleanly and profitably.
“Our business model is based on making things work longer, which is totally disruptive in our industry,” Rea said. “There is no equipment in the world that we can’t help make more reliable.”
Rea, 70, shared a £12m dividend with minority owner 3i, which has backed AES since 1996, making it the buyout group’s longest-serving investment.
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