Dugard Announce Strategic Restructuring to Drive Growth

1 September 2025

As an industry-leading UK machine tool distributor, Dugard has announced a strategic restructuring that has transformed the company from a complex shareholder structure to a focused three-director leadership team. The new structure features Eric Dugard alongside Sales Director Colin Thomson and Managing Director Jamie Young, all of whom are active operational leaders within the business.

Streamlined Leadership Drives Operational Excellence
The restructuring creates a dynamic leadership team where all three directors are actively involved in day-to-day operations, enabling faster decision-making and more agile responses to market opportunities. This represents a significant shift from the previous structure where Eric Dugard was the sole active director and employee among 14 shareholders.

"You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs," said Eric Dugard, reflecting on the transformation. "We have now shifted from a very complex shareholding structure to a much more streamlined one, with three shareholders who are very active members of the board. The shareholders and the board are now aligned and helping us to move forward."

Longstanding Sales Director Colin Thomson says: "What this has enabled Eric, Jamie and me to do is to be much more dynamic with the decisions for the business. The three of us are fully invested in the business - we're not just shareholders, we're active members of staff with a propensity to promote business growth.”

Enhanced Customer Service and Support
The restructuring has allowed Dugard to introduce several customer-focused improvements. This includes changes in technical and operations leadership, with Sean Ford promoted to Technical and Operations Director. This will ensure unified oversight of service, applications, and spares departments to guarantee seamless coordination from machine orders through installation and ongoing support.

From a customer perspective, the streamlined platform uses new protocols that route all interactions centrally for faster responses. It also improves project management by monitoring each customer and enquiry weekly, ensuring smooth coordination of delivery, installation, staffing, and communication for turnkey projects.

Strategic Supplier Partnerships
The company has strengthened relationships with key suppliers, turning longstanding partnerships into collaborations. Suppliers now visit UK customers regularly and engage more in end-user applications and automation solutions, supporting Dugard's expertise and partnerships with its principals.

"If anything, in the last year, we've become much closer to our suppliers," said Eric Dugard. "It's more like a partnership than just a supplier-dealer situation. They're far more involved in the actual end-user aspect of our projects, which at the end of the day is the most important thing."
Dugard has recently expanded its portfolio with the addition of the high-end range of Zobo machining centres, beginning representation in early 2025 after a considerable evaluation period. The company has already successfully sold machines in the market from this comprehensive range, and further details will be presented in the autumn.

Market Position and Future Outlook
"This restructuring allows us to move the company back to where it was - back up to the top again," said Colin. "We can make the decisions we need to make, invest in the machines and staff we need, much more quickly and easily. Now, there are three highly experienced and motivated directors who can sit around the table and make the ‘yes or no’ decisions without a committee of legacy directors that were holding our business back."

Eric Dugard emphasised the strategic importance of the change: "We wanted to move forward and reinvest in the company. The company needs to look to the future, and this structure enables us to do exactly that with new leadership for the next 10 years and beyond."

The company maintains its complete technical team, sales force, and service capabilities, ensuring continuity for existing customers whilst positioning for future growth.

"We're really going to hit the ground running now, and our re-invigorated team is relishing the challenge. With lots of new technology being launched at EMO, the outlook is very positive," said Eric, outlining the company's ambitious growth plans.