Revolutionary new drive and app clinches award for Newtown company

A new AC micro drive which comes complete with a revolutionary app that is operated from a smart phone has helped Newtown’s largest employer win a Technology & Innovation Award.

Nidec Control Techniques collected the award, sponsored by ForrestBrown, at the Powys Business Awards 2022 ceremony at Dering Lines, Brecon on Friday night.

Showcasing the diverse range of successful enterprises in the county, Powys Business Awards are organised by Mid Wales Manufacturing Group (MWMG) with support from sponsors.

The new Commander S micro drive and Marshal app interface is the latest innovation by Nidec Control Techniques, global drives specialist with an entrepreneurial history dating to 1973 in Newtown where it has a workforce exceeding 600.

The company is the first drive supplier to implement NFC technology – commonly used to make card payments at tills – as standard on a drive at no extra cost.

The Commander S micro drive is easy to install and the Marshal app puts rapid commissioning, monitoring, diagnostics and support in the customer’s hands. Described as “an expert on the field”, the app has been translated into 10 languages and enables drive set-up in only 60 seconds from scratch.

Nidec Control Techniques’ initial digital launch campaign attracted 44 million impressions, with 303,000 responding to the call to action. The new drive has won the prestigious iF Design Award and NFC Innovation Award and orders and sales are double what was anticipated for first year.

Gavin Sevier, head of launch and campaigns at Nidec Control Techniques, said: “We genuinely believe this product is a game-changer on so many fronts and look forward to seeing its progress in the market in the coming months and years.

“The use of NFC technology has allowed us to launch a new, ground-breaking package where once again Control Techniques’ innovation has been brought to the forefront. We expect to introduce the same NFC technology to other products in the coming years too.”

After receiving the award, Roxana Suteu, Nidec Control Techniques’ global product manager, said: “This is the third award we have won for this product and we are very proud of everything that we have achieved.

“Many members of the team who worked on this product are based here, so it’s very important to be recognised in Powys. We have a fantastic team that worked together with creativity on this project and there is a lot more to come.”

Powys Business Awards judges said: “Nidec Control Techniques is a gold standard example of how to take new technology to market. The company has demonstrated its commitment to innovation and a ‘whole team’ approach to the product development journey.

“We were impressed by the involvement of students, early career employees and directors alike in the R&D process.”