Rewinding 2025 and reflecting on a year of bold moves as a new CEO for PP C&A lets an acquisition mindset take shape, collaborative routes into new markets launch, and an industrial strategy at long last is on the table.
PP REWIND is back for its fourth successive year. Top PP Control & Automation stories published between January and December 2025 are displayed as chart-topping records, with this year’s campaign theme continuing a homage to the Compact Disc album, once the most sophisticated way to store and play music.
Rewind and press play on 2025!
Download instantly in your browser or add this 50+ page e-book to your resource basket. Key stories from an eventful year in manufacturing, all conceptual REWIND25 artwork, and a forward (and fast forward) from Richard Spears – the mind behind the REWIND campaigns.
50+ page e-book supporting the REWIND25 campaign: a look back on key stories from an eventful year in manufacturing. The book includes the top 10 stories of the year, all conceptual REWIND25 artwork, and a forward (and fast forward) from the brains behind the campaign, Richard Spears.
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AI hosts Poppy & Paul rewind and press play on 2025…
Don’t forget to also enjoy our Spotify REWIND25 Playlist here.
The Hidden Cost of In-House lifts the lid on the unseen pressures slowing machine builders and OEMs. Across twelve concise insights, the series exposes how capacity bottlenecks, skills shortages, engineering overload and creeping inefficiencies quietly undermine growth. It challenges the long-held belief that keeping production in-house is the safest or most cost-effective option. It reveals how strategic outsourcing can unlock resources, accelerate innovation and improve performance. For leaders stretched thin, this is a clear-eyed guide to recognising hidden constraints and choosing smarter ways to scale.
Published: 12th September 2025 (PP C&A Blog) / 4th November 2025 (Zenoot) / 10th November 2025 (Various Trade Media)
Artist(s): Richard Spears
The Clean Energy Systems Partner Alliance (CESPA) unites industry specialists, including PP Control & Automation, Danfoss, Emerson, Glacier Energy, Phoenix Contact and Voltserve, to deliver a UK-based, single-source manufacturing and engineering capability for clean energy systems. The partnership targets on-shoring critical technologies in areas such as hydrogen, Power-to-X, and batteries, enabling faster, fault-free deployment and capturing domestic value as the UK renewables market ramps up.
Published: 3rd February 2025 (Various Trade Media) / 14th May 2025 (Inside Sustainability)
Artist(s): Tony Hague / Richard Spears / Brendan Mackey / Dean Russell / Joanne Brooks-Kinder / Colin Fletcher/ Farrukh Quraishi / Adrian Bennett
The UK Government’s newly published 10-year Industrial Strategy delivers long-awaited direction for advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital sectors, offering increased certainty to industry. Tony Hague of PP C&A welcomes the recognition of core sectors and automation investment but cautions that immediate impact remains limited, noting energy cost initiatives won’t fully land for two years and vital SME support structures remain absent. He emphasises the need for a level playing field over hand-outs, as UK manufacturing aims to regain global competitiveness.
Published: 24th June 2025 (Various Trade Media) / 29th January 2025 (Various Trade Media)
Artist(s): Tony Hague / Pinaki Banerjee
PP Control & Automation (PP C&A) argues that UK manufacturing has entered a phase of pragmatically adaptive strategy, shifting away from speculative growth toward resilience, operational control and supply-chain robustness. Tony Hague, Richard Spears and Andy Whittaker respond to recent survey data showing firms investing in preparedness over expansion. The message: stop waiting for government aid, focus on doing the fundamentals right – optimising processes, reducing dependencies and building competitive advantage internally.
Published: 26th March, 9th May, 10th June 2025 (Zenoot) / 5th April 2025 (Various Trade Media)
Artist(s): Tony Hague / Richard Spears / Andrew Whittaker
EBar, maker of the Beerwall® automated self-serve drink system, has secured an expanded manufacturing partnership with PP Control & Automation. PP C&A now handles full electronics, mechanical build and assembly. A dedicated eight-engineer cell at the facility is now producing up to five units per week (200 % increase) enabling EBar to hit its goal of 100 units in operation by 2026. The deal boosts capacity, halves build time and stabilises supply-chain risk.
Published: 21st July 2025 (Various Trade Media) / 2nd August 2025 (The Press & Journal)
Artist(s): Matthew Heather
Three Midlands specialists; PP Control & Automation, ByteSnap Design and Kasdon Electronics have formed VORS (Versatile Outsourcing in Resilient Systems) to target major growth in defence, medical and life-science markets. Combining end-to-end design, electronics, manufacturing and assembly, the collaboration offers a single accountable partner for high-compliance, high-stakes products, from prototyping to full-scale production. With 280+ employees and £45m+ collective revenue, VORS aims to give OEMs faster time-to-market, reduced risk and stronger supply-chain resilience.
Published: 25th November 2025 (Zenoot) / 27th November 2025 / 1st December 2025 (Various Trade Media)
Artist(s): Richard Spears / Steve Stockley / Martin Barrett / Dunstan Power / Robert Meeks
PP Control & Automation has formed a dedicated Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) Committee to steer its sustainable business agenda; including oversight of environmental performance, social responsibility and governance practices. The establishment aligns with the company’s commitment to responsible growth and has seen PP C&A’s societal impact formally recognised. The move underlines its shift from compliance to leadership in sustainability, reinforcing stakeholder confidence and supporting its vision of collaborative, customer-centric growth.
Published: 9th May 2025 (PP C&A Blog)
Artist(s): Malcolm Condon / Scott Ward / Richard Spears
In his interview, Tony Hague argues 2025 will mark a shift: robots and automation stop being futuristic and become everyday teammates, sustainability becomes a core competitive advantage, and Gen-Z enters the workforce with digital nativity and fresh ideas. He emphasises the need for UK businesses to invest in AI, upskilling and sustainability whilst embracing the incoming Gen-Z wave to stay ahead in a fast-evolving landscape.
Published: 6th January 2025 (Entrepreneur UK) / 16th April 2025 (Express & Star) / 4th July 2025 (Shock of the New II Series)
Artist(s): Tony Hague / Richard Spears
PP Control & Automation has appointed Pinaki Banerjee as its new CEO, signalling a strategic shift toward global expansion and acquisitive growth. Tony Hague transitions to a commercial role after 24 years at the helm. With strong UK roots, the firm is targeting Central Europe and North America acquisitions to accelerate growth beyond £70m revenues. Pinaki Banerjee brings decades of M&A and international operations experience, positioning the business to scale through both organic and acquisition-led routes.
Published: 18th September 2025 (Various Trade Media) / 8th December 2025 (Made In Group, PP C&A Blog)
Artist(s): Pinaki Banerjee / Tony Hague
2025 marked the year Tony Hague stepped back from his role as CEO to pursue a purely commercial and customer-focused role within the business. Under his leadership and commitment to investment in automation and people development, the company has grown from 27 staff and £2.5m sales to 200 staff and over £30m turnover, working with over 20 of the world’s largest machinery builders. Tony has freed himself up to explore more volunteering and trustee roles, not to mention opportunities for more fishing expeditions!
Thank you Tony for your leadership, passion, and friendship.
Artist(s): Tony Hague
Enjoy high detail conceptual artwork created for the REWIND25 campaign!
The REWIND24 campaign and the stories behind the sleeves.
The REWIND23 campaign and the stories behind the sleeves.
The REWIND22 campaign and the stories behind the sleeves.
