Wells PM, the UK’s largest independent additive masterbatch manufacturer, has invested in state-of-the-art technology to enhance its testing capabilities and support future growth after receiving support from Made Smarter West Midlands.
Their materials enhance the properties of polymers, improving how products made from polymers are processed and perform, and are supplied around the world.
The business, which was set up in 1984, employs nearly 60 members of staff, with four buildings housing manufacturing, innovation, warehouse, and administration departments on the Stone Business Park.
Operating 24/7 with highly skilled staff, the business has extensive experience in formulating, handling and working with materials that are supplied globally to the agricultural, automotive and medical industries as well as food packaging.
Michael Spight, Supply Chain Manager at Wells PM, said: “Our company strategy is to develop a reputation within the UK and European markets as a capable, customer focused, technically skilled ‘go-to’ partner with an emphasis on growing technical products within the sustainable sector.
“We wanted to make investments to upgrade, expand and build upon our current testing capabilities by providing greater service internally for quality control and product development purposes, and also support our customers’ ever-evolving needs.
“This is where the advice from Made Smarter and WMG was invaluable in helping us invest in a machine which would meet our objectives.”
Whilst Wells PM is a significant player in its field within the UK, its competitors tend to be large multi-nationals that have larger resources to deploy.
Michael approached Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce to find out what help was available to assist in growing the business further with new products and customers, and was advised to contact Tim Kirby from Made Smarter West Midlands.
Dr Gary Ogden, Technical Manager at Wells PM, said: “We wanted to invest in new technology for the Innovation Centre, replacing and upgrading the existing ‘tensometer’ which is used to measure the physical properties of polymers, such as how strong or brittle they are. Our current equipment was at its end of life and no longer technically supported. Upgrading to the latest generation would help Wells PM develop new products for the international market.”
Tim Kirby, Digital Transformation Specialist for Made Smarter West Midlands in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, added: “When Michael first got in touch, it was clear that Wells PM had a strong vision for growth but needed the right technology to stay competitive.
“The tensometer they identified wasn’t just a replacement for ageing equipment, but a strategic investment in quality, innovation and customer confidence.
“Our role at Made Smarter is to help ambitious manufacturers like Wells PM make informed digital investments that drive productivity and long-term resilience.
“Through our support, they’ve been able to accelerate this upgrade, ensuring they remain competitive, continue to innovate and build on their position as a leading UK specialist in their sector.”
Wells PM worked alongside WMG at the University of Warwick, one of Made Smarter’s strategic partners, to identify an instrument which would meet all their needs as well as to apply for a grant towards its purchase.
The business received a £16,442.50 grant from Made Smarter West Midlands, with Wells PM adding the remaining 50% to purchase an Instron 34SC-5 with video extensometer.
“The instrument, despite being more compact than the one it replaced, has a suite of functions which our previous tensometer did not have, allowing much greater capabilities and helping us meet the technical objectives for this project,” Dr Ogden explained.
“This new functionality allows detailed quantifiable measurements of surface properties of thin polyethylene films such as how ‘slippery’ they are, or how they ‘block’ (stick together) and how those important properties develop over time under changing environmental conditions. This insight is critical to a number of our key projects and something our previous tensometer could not do.”
Jasmine Agrawal, Digital Transfer Engineer, at WMG at the University of Warwick, added:
“From our initial discussions with Wells PM, it was clear that this investment was about more than replacing ageing equipment; it was about strengthening their technical capability to support innovation and product development.
“Through our diagnostic visit and technical review, we worked closely with their team to assess current limitations, define requirements, and ensure the selected instrument would support both immediate project goals and longer-term strategic growth.”
She added: “Our role at WMG is to provide support during the evaluation of business-critical decisions. By combining technical evaluation with grant support through Made Smarter West Midlands, we were able to help Wells PM make a confident, future-focused investment.
“The new Instron system enhances their testing precision and data insight, enabling them to accelerate R&D, improve quality assurance processes, and compete more effectively in high-performance and sustainability-driven markets.”
The new instrument will provide an extensive resource for testing, streamlining the previous methods and providing much more data. This can be used on both external and internal projects.
Michael added: “The data from the new instrument will allow unprecedented insight into our own products and allow us to develop new products to compete within markets where previously we had been prohibited due to technical limitations.”
Wells PM will be able to use the new instrument to develop more technically advanced products, meeting a changing industry which demands improved environmental performance whilst still being high performance and cost effective.
The business is also celebrating winning the Best Sustainable Polymer Production Company category at the British Made Awards 2026, and will be presenting at a number of international conferences and exhibitions over the next year showcasing its products and capabilities.
Michael added: “This new instrument helps increase our credibility as a technically strong company to new potential customers in the UK and abroad, and in addition helps to attract more high-calibre employees to meet our growing demands.
“We are working on a number of exciting projects both within the UK and Europe within the sustainable materials arena. If successful, any one of these customers could bring in an additional five per cent growth over the next two to three years to the business.”
