The history of Ajax Machine Tools.

Ajax was formed in 1939 by George Carter and Donald Walker and was named after the battle cruiser Ajax, which was later adopted by Halifax during World War II.

Ajax began manufacturing Industrial Drilling and Milling Machines in their Halifax Factory, in the North of England.

The company set out to make drilling and milling machines for the war effort setting the current day precedent for quality and good reliable design.

After the war Ajax started to manufacture washing machines and other domestic appliances branded “ADA” . In 1950, a new public company, AJAX Domestic Appliances “ADA”, was incorporated to manufacture washing machines and other appliances.

In 1952 A new machine tool factory was being equipped at Holmfield, Halifax. When this was occupied, West Mount would be used solely for ADA washing and ironing machines.

In 1953, Ajax Machine Tool Company transitioned into a Limited Liability Company. Its growth and enhanced manufacturing capabilities caught the attention of Philips International, a Dutch Electronics Group, which acquired the company in 1958.

The 1960s brought significant changes, including a move to Manchester and the launch of new products such as Centre Lathes, Turret Milling Machines, and Grinding Machines, expanding its existing lineup of machine tools.

By 1979, Ajax had established itself in a custom-built facility in Bredbury, Stockport, and became part of the CEI Group within the Specialist Engineering Sector, later transitioning to Grasby Plc. During this period, the introduction of NC (Numerical Control) machines marked the beginning of a shift towards CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines in the 1980s. This growth enabled Ajax to solidify its presence in the global market.

On July 1, 1992, the company entered a transformative phase with Geoff Taylor successfully leading a management buyout from the Grasby Group, continuing his role as Managing Director.

Later, in October 2001, the Viking Group of Companies acquired the firm, which also owned Startrite Machinery, and moved Ajax to Birmingham.

In November 2002, Mr. Savin became the new owner, relocating the company to Hampshire and driving it to unprecedented success with innovative products, competitive pricing, and enhanced efficiency.

In January 2012, the company implemented plans for a new range of 3, 4, and 5 Axis High-Speed Machining Centres, built with Heidenhain controls, to meet the demands of the rapidly growing aerospace market. The first machine was completed for an in-house show in October 2013.

Ajax Machine Tools Int Ltd is now recognized as one of Europe’s leading suppliers of both Conventional and CNC Machine Tools. In addition to servicing a wide and diversified range of British-based companies and institutions, it is also exporting to over forty countries worldwide.

Within the Export Division, both management and staff have many years of experience in all aspects of international trading. This, coupled with their commercial and technical expertise and positive entrepreneurial approach, creates a highly successful combination capable of meeting the ever-increasing competitive demands of today’s international marketplace.

Backed by a comprehensive Spares and Technical Support Division, we are committed to providing a complete service that ensures our customers’ needs come first. This approach builds strong, lasting relationships with all our customers.

Today, we continue to work hard to future-proof our operations by training apprentices and learning new practices to keep pace with modern manufacturing techniques. You can be assured that we are here as part of your team, ready to work with you to keep production moving.

We now have an in house training school for CNC machine training to help our customers who need operators.