OUR COMPANY HISTORY -
40 YEARS OF EXTRUSION CUTTING EXPERIENCE

1968

Gillard & Co. is founded by Peter Gillard. Using experience from previous business ventures Peter develops a range of extrusion downstream equipment, including guillotine cutters and caterpillar haul-offs (an early example is shown below).

1971

1974

A serious fire totally destroys the Gillard factory in Maidenhead. Within four weeks the company has re-located to nearby High Wycombe. The 'Seventies saw a period of rapid growth with the development of many new machines such as larger guillotines, rotary cutters, heavy-duty caterpillar haul-offs, cooling systems and coiling machines.

1981

The Maidenhead factory is finally re-built and Gillard move back into their old home. One of the successful Model 404/301 guillotine cutters with caterpillar haul-off/infeeder is shown below.

1984

The first Vac-U-Torq® rotary cutter was sold. This range of vacuum clutch/brake machines was highly succesful and gave a massive boost to Gillard, seeing their turnover expand by almost four times by the end of the 'Eighties. Other new products were also developed such as extruders and saws. By 1989 the Maidenhead factory was now too small, so they looked for larger premises.

1990

Gillard were on the move again, this time to their current home, a larger modern factory in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

1992

The Neuma-Torq™ range of air clutch rotary cutters was developed as a lower cost replacement to the Vac-U-Torq cutter. The first half of the 'Nineties saw continued growth, with the export percentage creeping up to 80 - 90% of the Gillard turnover.

1995

Chris Gillard becomes Managing Director on the retirement of his father, Peter.

1996

The launch of the Servo-Torq® clutch-less rotary cutter at Interplas'96. This cutter quickly developed a market which eventually saw the last Vac-U-Torq cutter being built in 1999. The late 'Nineties saw large numbers of Gillard machines being sold around the world.

2001

The first Gillard food cutters were sold. K'2001 saw Gillard with their largest ever stand, which was rewarded with their biggest ever order of Servo-Torq cutters.

2003

Gillard diversifies into specialist extrusion cutters for both ultra-small medical tubing and cuffed automotive tubing. Also larger diameter products up to 300 mm. The growth into non-polymer markets, such as food and toiletry extrusion continued.

2004

K'2004 saw the launch of a range of circular blade auto saws and heavy-duty caterpillar haul-offs for larger rigid and metal reinforced profiles.

Current - 2008

The launch of new products continues. 2008 has seen the expansion of the Gillard range of coiling machines. New investment in machine tools and SolidWorks 3D CAD software has followed a record order intake. With Interplas 2008 to look forward to, continued expansion of the range of products offered continues.