Offering 24\/7 service, Preformed is the preferred supplier across industries such as hydro, nuclear power, oil and\u00a0gas\u00a0and power generation. Its focus on quality \u201cWe\u2019ve been around since 1968,\u201d begins James Stevens, CEO, \u201cand at our core,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0a pure product manufacturer. What we do is very specialized. We design and manufacture high-voltage bars and coils for motors and generators. Over the past few years,\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0grown rapidly. In fact, in the last two years alone,\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0doubled in size.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0now a team of around 120 people, working across two manufacturing facilities, sitting side by side.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur\u00a0expertise\u00a0is in shaping and insulating copper.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0really the heart of what we do, and\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0invested heavily in staying at the forefront of that craft. Over the last five or six years, we\u2019ve invested well over 30,000 hours of R&D to develop high-quality insulation systems aimed at extending the life of high-voltage machines, reducing maintenance, and delivering specific performance advantages such as ultra-low partial discharge levels, which is a key indicator of insulation health,\u201d he elaborates.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe export 98-to-99 percent of our products globally,\u00a0mainly into\u00a0sustainable power generation.\u00a0A large portion\u00a0goes into hydroelectric and nuclear applications around the world.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0honored\u00a0to be the supplier of choice for organizations like GE\u00a0Vernova\u00a0and Voith, among others, and to be trusted by end users ranging from the US Army Corps of Engineers to major nuclear operators.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n James goes on to share the company\u2019s three core value propositions, believing service organizations and utilities deserve a supply chain that\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0compete with them. \u201cThis is why we focus purely on product manufacture, unlike many others in our sector,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe integrate within the supply chain, so our customers\u2019 success is our success. Alongside that,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0service leaders: we offer 24\/7 technical support and build multi-tier relationships to deliver a genuinely world-class level of service. Those three pillars: non-competing, high quality, and true partnership are what define us.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the end of Q4 2024, Preformed opened its second manufacturing facility, which increased capacity by around 60 percent. That expansion was entirely driven by market demand. \u201cThe new facility allows us to keep lead times aligned with customer expectations while meeting the growing volume requirements we\u2019re seeing both from our partners and across the global market,\u201d James shares. \u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0in the middle of what\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0call an electrification super-cycle, driven by rising power demand from AI, population growth, and industrialization. Our products fit directly into both the push for more power and the drive toward Net Zero. The expansion was the first step, and\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0already planning the next: moving to a single, much larger facility,\u00a0roughly twice\u00a0the size of our two current sites, to support the continued demand.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur mantra, and our whole identity really, is \u2018obsessed with quality.\u2019\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0what our brand is built on,\u201d James explains. \u201cA strong reputation\u00a0takes years to build and only moments\u00a0to lose, and our customers think the same way.\u00a0They\u2019re\u00a0proud of the quality they deliver, and they rely on us to help them uphold that.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While Preformed has grown quickly, over the past two years, its non-conformance and scrap rates have fallen. Achieving that while doubling the workforce meant being extremely deliberate about how it approached expansion. \u201cIn our world,\u201d he continues, \u201cit takes six-to-nine months before a new team member is ready to handle customer product, so we front-load investment heavily. We accept that a new hire\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0deliver direct value\u00a0immediately, because the alternative, which compromises quality, is far more costly in every sense.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA big part of\u00a0maintaining\u00a0standards has been developing a robust training system. We focus not only on quantitative knowledge but also tacit knowledge, which comes only from experience.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0mapped the complexity of each production process,\u00a0identified\u00a0the true minimum competency levels, and built training paths that progress logically. People learn differently, so\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0designed a system flexible enough to accommodate all styles. The result is a team we can sign off with genuine confidence, and a structured approach that ensures skills continue to grow and stay sharp.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Automation is increasingly important for Preformed, as it is for all manufacturing firms, and the company\u2019s approach is to bring in proven technologies that aren\u2019t typically used in the industry, such as 3D scanning, 3D printing, and, increasingly, AI, and applying them in ways that genuinely add value. \u201cFor example, our new training system is AI-supported,\u201d James elaborates. \u201cWe\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0want a static library of modules; we wanted people to ask specific questions and receive tailored answers, matched to different learning styles.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe also work closely with Sheffield Hallam University through our KTP associates, who have helped us integrate advanced CAD tools, 3D scanning and additive manufacturing capabilities. Beyond that,\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0invested in smarter production scheduling. Off-the-shelf software\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0give a holistic view, so\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0built a system that supports the whole business.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn our business, we don\u2019t just provide a like-for-like replacement when motors and generators are modernized,\u201d James continues. \u201cWe look at how we can use\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0insulation systems and technology to not only replace\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0there but improve it, by extending the life, increasing efficiency, and even boosting generator output.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not unusual for our windings to raise output by ten-to-45 percent. With the average hydro generator in North America around 55 years old,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a massive opportunity to increase renewable energy output quickly and with minimal carbon footprint.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt the same time, we\u2019re focused on sustainability, reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and offsetting locally where our customers are, so by Q1 2026, we\u2019ll be Scope 1 and 2 carbon neutral, with Scope 3 reductions following shortly after.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/manufacturing-today.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Preformed-Wirings-243-body-image-1.jpg\")
and service drives the delivery of bespoke solutions using the latest technologies and materials.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Preformed](\"https:\/\/manufacturing-today.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Preformed-Wirings-243-body-image-2.jpg\")
The industries Preformed serves are inherently involved in the sustainable energy transition, but the company perceives its role in supporting the development and maintenance of energy infrastructure more broadly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n