G23 Engineering scales from cowshed to CNC powerhouse with PSL Datatrack

From humble beginnings in a small Northamptonshire farm unit, G23 Engineering has grown into a high-performing subcontract precision engineering business, expanding six times in just 10 years. Central to this growth has been PSL Datatrack modular production control software, which has allowed the ISO 9001-certified company to streamline quoting, job tracking, inventory management and shop-floor operations.

Today, G23 operates a large, modern machine shop with a wide range of milling and turning capabilities, delivering high-quality components to clients across the motorsport, luxury automotive, aerospace, defence, medical and marine sectors.

Adam Green, owner of G23, recalls the early days: “I sold absolutely everything I owned to get started. We scraped together about £11,000 and bought our first machine at auction. We had to put the roofing on ourselves. When people say they ‘started from the bottom’, we really did.”

Initially, G23 produced small batches of its own products for modified cars, but within three years Adam was approaching larger clients and the business began to snowball. Managing growth manually, however, soon became a challenge.

“We were running with an iPad, pen, paper and calculator. It worked for a while, but as soon as we started working with bigger clients it became clear that we needed to up our game.”

An ISO 9001 auditor recommended PSL Datatrack, and Adam quickly realised it was the solution they had been looking for: “We tried other software demos, but they were either baffling or boring. PSL Datatrack is designed for engineers. I can teach anyone the system quickly, and near enough every member of the team uses it. No long courses, no downtime; the shop keeps turning.”

The impact was immediate. Quoting, once a slow process, became almost instantaneous, as Adam reveals: “We have customers that rely on extremely fast quotes. Now, we can respond in 20-30 minutes. On a ‘bad’ day, I might produce 30 quotes. It’s won us a lot of work, often before competitors have even submitted their quotations.”

Crucially, the system’s template-based structure meant that as the team grew, new staff could be brought up to speed quickly. Rather than relying on one person to manage the software, PSL Datatrack became embedded across the business, allowing Adam to focus on strategic growth instead of day-to-day administration. Notably, PSL Datatrack helped G23 present itself as a larger, professional organisation from the outset.

“The documentation generated by PSL Datatrack made us look and operate like a big company, even when it was just me on the shop floor,” remarks Adam.

The modular software has grown alongside the business, with additional modules such as ‘Gauge Calibration’ and ‘Tool Definitions’ added as capacity increased, giving the team greater traceability and control at every stage.

Investment in machinery has kept pace with business growth. G23 now runs a robust mix of milling and turning equipment, including several Haas vertical machining centres and Doosan lathes with live tooling. These are supported by CAD/CAM software and tool-vending systems to ensure efficiency and availability. The business is also exploring automation options with Matsuura.

“It’s a big, busy place now,” Adam comments. “Air-conditioned, inspection room, CAD seats – it’s a serious operation, but PSL Datatrack keeps it all manageable.”

The results speak for themselves. From a single machine in a farm unit to a multi-building operation with 12 machines and eight staff, the transformation over 14 years has been remarkable. Adam no longer spends time on the shop floor, except for special personal projects like car show trophies. He can take business trips and holidays, confident the business runs smoothly in his absence.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today without PSL Datatrack, 100% not. It was a gamechanger – getting our foot in the door, tying all the paperwork together and allowing us to scale rapidly. With every step traceable and organised, clients and auditors alike can have confidence in what we do.”

Looking to the future, Adam is focused on further growth and refinement: “We’re always looking to expand capacity, improve processes and invest in new machines. PSL Datatrack gives us the flexibility to add users or modules as we need, without locking us into anything unnecessary. It saves time, reduces errors and gives us confidence in every aspect of the business.”