KMT appoints Ian Matthews as general manager

KMT, a bespoke engineering solutions provider, has appointed Ian Matthews as its new general manager. A highly successful engineer with a varied technical, commercial and business management background, Matthews will help spearhead further growth across the business by enhancing services and entering new markets.

“KMT has market-leading capability in bespoke engineering from a design and practical perspective, so this role is a fantastic opportunity,” said Matthews. “We have engineering competence in abundance and a team of enthusiastic people keen to see the business succeed. I will be working hard to grow key accounts and expand our service into new markets.”

Ian Matthews completed his apprenticeship and HNC in mechanical engineering while working at Hans Lingl UK. He then supplemented his machining, fabrication, machine building and on-site installation experience by moving into the design office. Following further spells designing commercial vehicle bodies as well as air conditioning systems for passenger and fighter aircraft, he joined Broxap Ltd in 2005 as a project draftsman. Eventually rising to senior contracts manager, he oversaw the design, manufacture and ‘cradle to grave’ delivery of bespoke structures and architectural metalwork packages. As Head of Design there, he managed a 24-man engineering team, being responsible for the technical delivery of all projects, reporting directly to the board. Next, he moved to Westgate, a manufacturer of industrial partitions, joining initially as technical manager, before quickly progressing to become general manager in 2018 and successfully growing the business.

Mark Brickhill, CEO at KMT, added: “We are excited to welcome Ian to the KMT team. As a bespoke engineering business, we want to extend our customer-base into new industries, ensuring that more manufacturers benefit from our market-leading capabilities. Ian will be at the forefront of this initiative, using his comprehensive technical and management knowledge to expand our offering even further.”