A LATHE delivered to Teignbridge Propellers was so enormous a crane had to lift it over a 30ft wall into a yard of the company's factory on the Brunel Industrial Estate, Newton Abbot, on Monday because it would not go through the front doors.

The 38 tonne CNC lathe which cost in the region of £450,000 was transported to Newton Abbot and scheduled to be craned over the wall to get it into the premises on Monday morning.

But things did not go quite according to plan. The bars Teignbridge Propellers were asked to get to slide into holes in the base of the machine, so straps could be secured for the lifting, would not fit.

They then worked on another way of securing it, and later in the day it was craned over the wall, lowered into a yard and skates applied to the machine to run it through a wider doorway in the central span of the factory.

Recently, Duncan Propellers Holdings became the new owners of Teignbridge Propellers, and is already demonstrating its investment intentions in the business.

The lathe can machine the taper bore in propellers of up to 2.50 metres diameter weighing anything up to four tonnes.

Director David Hunt said: 'The company has orders for more than 70 propellers of this size on its books for delivery during the next six months so it will be put to immediate use. Our sales team is now upping its effort in securing further orders in the knowledge that we can now offer faster deliveries at very competitive prices'.

He added that the lathe had been purchased to increase the group's manufacturing capacity while at the same time ensuring that the latest technology is available to the business.

Another director, David Duncan, said they still believed that the UK is a good place to invest. 'It can compete favourably with regards to the overall package of price, delivery and quality.

'We have noticed that some of our customers have recently moved their purchasing back to Europe from the so called cheaper markets. Quality has played a major part in some of those decisions,' he said.

The pair, who began their careers at Newton Abbot light engineering firm Centrax, founded Teignbridge Propellers in 1974 and took it to international success before selling it to the American Brunswick Corporation in 1997.

Since then they built up a very successful marine business, Duncan Propellers, of Heathfield.

Now they are back in control of Teignbridge Propellers which manufacture a range of bronze propellers and stern gear to suit any type of boat.