An East Lancashire engineering firm has appointed a new CEO following a period of investment and transformation.

Nelson-based engineering solutions provider, ELE Advanced Technologies (ELE) has appointed David Stanley as its new CEO, after seven years with the company, in his role as finance director.

David has 30 years’ experience across a wide variety of sectors, including manufacturing, infrastructure and construction.

He succeeds Manesh Pandya who, after heading up the business since 2001, is retiring and will take on the role of consultant.

The change follows a period of significant investment with more than £12 million invested in the business, including in its relocation to a new, larger manufacturing facility at Lomeshaye Industrial Estate, Nelson in 2023.

ELE supports some of the biggest original equipment manufacturers in the world. It provides engineering solutions in the aerospace, power generation and automotive sectors – offering a complete package of processes to produce complex, high-integrity components. Its customer base is international, with 75 per cent of components manufactured going into Europe.

The new state-of-the-art facility spans more than 50,000 sq. ft. and enables ELE to increase production capacity by 40 per cent through layout optimisation and improved material flows, and has room for further expansion that will enable ELE to increase capacity by a further 50 per cent in the future.

Since an investment in 2019, ELE has increased revenues from £14 million to £25 million. In 2023, the business strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Nick Eary as business development director and Rebecca Shellard as CFO. There is a strong focus on talent, with the business taking on a number of apprentices each year.

Commenting on his appointment, David said: “ELE has ambitious and growth-driven plans following the move to our new facility. This is a really exciting time and I’d like to thank Manesh for leading our business over the past 22 years.

“Looking ahead, my immediate focus is on further enhancing and building customer relationships, growing our global customer base through our offer of innovative technologies, and continuing to lead on sustainability and innovation.”