From hidden player to major force: The making of a market disruptor

Machinery & Manufacturing charts the extraordinary transformation of Mitsubishi’s cutting tool offer for the UK, speaking exclusively with company leader, guru and inspiration: Jason Purcell.

Few would contest that Mitsubishi is a global power brand. And yet how many UK machine shops know Mitsubishi manufactures cutting tools? Not enough, it seems. That recognition gap proved sufficient for MMC (Mitsubishi Materials Corporation) Hardmetal UK to bring in a seasoned expert, someone who could remodel the business and build a formidable growth engine. That expert was Jason Purcell. Initially recruited as a consultant, his impact was so immediate that within months Jason was appointed General Manager for the UK and Ireland. Let the transformation begin.

His remit was monumental: deliver revenue growth year-on-year, sharpen corporate objectives, rebuild a values-driven leadership team, expand sales capability, establish new income streams, forge strategic partnerships, elevate service delivery and execute a targeted, sector-focused market strategy. All while ensuring sustainable profitability.

Fortunately, Jason arrived equipped for the challenge. With over 15 years at a major competitor in the premium tooling market, combined with roles as executive coach/mentor at Cranfield University and Aston Business School, he introduced a rare blend of operational intelligence and people-centric leadership. Jason is well practised in driving data-led decision making, embedding business excellence, strengthening culture, and nurturing brands built on integrity, accountability and continuous improvement.

Rebuilding from within
“One of my first priorities in 2023 was to meet and understand every employee,” he explains. “That insight helped us reshape the organisation with intent. We’ve emerged with a dynamic team around 35 strong, bringing together the right skills and strengths that best position us for long-term success.”

Jason’s overhaul was comprehensive – restructuring engineering, operations, finance, HR, CSR and marketing, alongside the entire leadership team. The cultural reset was equally seismic. “We now live and breathe our values,” he states. “We’ve also relocated into modern premises with a state-of-the-art warehouse that finally reflects the Mitsubishi brand.”

A cornerstone of the transformation is the implementation of a customer-facing sales organisation with engineering DNA and supported by a strengthened applications and project teams. But the most radical shift lies in Mitsubishi’s market positioning.

“We’re a premium, high-quality tooling brand – one of a select few in this space – yet historically we sold on price. That made no sense, so we moved to a solutions-based model. I want our team to become trusted advisers with a consultancy mindset, backed by innovative pricing structures and added-value services.”

MMC Hardmetal is implementing a key accounts strategy and continues to deliver on it.

The approach is already yielding results. “Potential customers now see that we understand their business, with an increasing number inviting us to engage,” he says.

Express delivery

The company’s boldest move so far is the introduction of a true 24-hour delivery service.

“I believe we’re now the only tooling OEM in the UK genuinely providing full-portfolio (30,000 products) 24-hour delivery. Others offer it, but only against a limited list of stocked items. Currently in the test phase, our first few weeks demonstrated a 99.13% success rate.”

New capability, new confidence
Mitsubishi’s relentless programme of new product introductions is supported by its acquisition of UFP in Italy, adding strength in tool reconditioning and bespoke products. Carbide recycling has become another powerful value-add – and a real success story.

“We exceeded our ambitious target for carbide recycling in 2025 and will process even more material this year,” reports Jason. “Recycling is our fastest-growing service, yet many customers still discard carbide unaware of its value. We pay market-leading rates and make the process effortless. It’s part of our wider solutions package that we’ll showcase at the MACH 2026 exhibition in Birmingham.”

Attending MACH in April signals a statement of intent – the company’s first appearance since 2018, with a stand twice the size of its previous largest.

More to come

Looking ahead, Jason stresses that the evolution is far from complete. “We’re already a completely different company to 2023 – and a year from now, we’ll be unrecognisable again. The potential rewards are already emerging. The last quarter of 2025 proved strong, powered by our transformation and emerging confidence in UK manufacturing. With stability returning and investment hopefully beginning to flow, Mitsubishi is ready to step up as the cutting tool partner the sector deserves.”