Contracts abroad prove key for lock maker

The Leeds-based company posted sales of over £2.25m for the year ended November 2013, a 27 per cent drop on the 2012 figure of £3.07m.

Exports contributed to 33 per cent (£751,912) of total sales, the biggest proportion the company has ever achieved, although export sales fell from £966,000 (31 per cent of total sales) the year before.

Pickersgill-Kaye, which is part of the Joseph Kaye Holdings Group, designs and produces locks and safety products for the rail, security and custodial industries.

The company currently employs 35 staff after shedding 15 jobs over the last year. A spokesman said: “There has been an element of restructuring which has resulted in certain peripheral services being outsourced for improved efficiency to enable the company to continue to develop and manufacture first class products that are all made in Leeds.”

The specialist engineering firm said it won contracts with a number of well-known blue chip names, filling its overseas order book against often tough competition last year.

It added that demand for its rail products continues “at a pace”.

In North America, the company supplied Axion Technologies with further passenger alarms for fitting to Toronto Transit ‘Rocket’ subway cars and locomotive cab door locks to several US train companies.

Meanwhile in Europe, the business manufactured toilet door switch units for EVAC, a train sanitation system firm in Germany, emergency hammer boxes for a new build tram project in Belgium, cab door locks for Irish Rail’s 18-strong fleet of 071 class locomotives, emergency break access panels for trains in Austria, budget locks and break panels for Siemens’ Desiro trains and an ongoing supply of loco door locks for the Bombardier Traxx locos.

In Asia, Pickersgill-Kaye has received an initial order from Jardine Engineering for cell door locks and strikers for the first railway satellite police station on a new rail link between Hong Kong and China as well as emergency egress device and emergency access device units for Hitachi Japan, destined for trains being built for the UK.

Meanwhile, the company is helping to make custodial cells safer in Ireland, Libya and France.

The company’s cell lock and custodial hatch are being used as part of improvements to Garda Station cells across Ireland. A number of cells had to be demolished because they failed to meet modern safety standards.

It also supplied a multi-point lock to a Libyan company and the Kaye-Rota padlock for France.

Harry Griffiths, Pickersgill-Kaye’s sales director, said: “Overseas sales are a growing proportion of our business. During the 12 months the company has maintained exports to the three continents of Asia, America and Europe.

“The latest contracts have further increased our export profile and provide valuable work for our highly experienced and committed workforce.”

Mr Griffiths said that all Pickersgill-Kaye products are designed on CAD software and are subjected to extensive and challenging testing on key operation, lock construction and overall durability and resistance to attack, in order to satisfy the operational requirements of national and international market sectors.

He added that he was confident of strengthening the company’s presence at home and break into even more overseas markets overseas during 2014 with products for companies involved in the rail and high security sectors.

The company was founded in 1855 as Joseph Kaye & Sons in Horsforth, Leeds. Initially involved in the manufacture of oil cans, it diversified during the latter part of the 19th and into the 20th century into the specialised design and manufacture of Kaye’s patent door locks for the UK’s architectural and rail industries.

In 1970 Harry and David Pickersgill, local tooling designers and manufacturers, bought the Joseph Kaye assets and incorporated the new company as Pickersgill-Kaye.

The company moved to its current site at Pepper Road, Hunslet in 1980, and in 1982 two sister companies were formed – PK Tooling and Pickersgill Electroplating.

Pickersgill-Kaye was formed as a holding company in 1989 before a management buy-out in 1998 saw PK Tooling sold off separately and the Joseph Kaye Holdings name replaced Pickersgill-Kaye as the holding company.

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