Hurco bucks the trend

Against a backdrop of tough trading conditions in the machine tool supply industry, Hurco Europe in its current financial year increased turnover compared with the previous year by more than 5%. Total revenue exceeded £25 million, a figure regularly achieved over the past 10 years. Despite a general reluctance by the manufacturing industry to invest during the current financial climate, machine sales to subcontractors serving the aerospace, defence and motorsport sectors held up well in 2025 and continue to do so.

More than one-third of machining centre and CNC lathe sales were secured from first-time buyers of the brand, rather than existing users returning for more machines. It’s a proportion that remains remarkably consistent from year to year, enabling the company to maintain its strong position and increase market share in the UK and Ireland.

Speaking of Hurco’s sales performance at the company’s year-end open house, held in High Wycombe during early December, managing director David Waghorn said: “As is the case for many of our peers, unit volumes were down this year, particularly for the lower-cost, smaller models. However, we were fortunate that several orders were of high value, including for our various five-axis vertical machining centres and large travelling-column DCX models. At the same time, CNC lathes remained a key part of our business, providing 20% of revenue.

“We also saw strong sales of three- and five-axis vertical machining centres built in Germany by Roeders, which we’ve represented in this market exclusively for more than two decades. We shipped six machines, which is a good number for such specialised, high-performance equipment. In addition, it’s notable that there’s increased demand for machines which can perform jig grinding operations, giving the user unique benefits in terms of completing high-accuracy parts in a single handling.”

David added that another technology gaining traction is automation. Hurco ProCobots have always generated huge interest at shows, with sales proving steady since the product was first released. However, it has taken subcontract engineers some time to understand how easy a Hurco ProCobot can be to operate and program.

The stage has now been reached where once a company has one ProCobot feeding parts to a machine, they quickly come back for a second, as the return on investment is easy to justify. Often, the automated cell continues to make parts long after the machine operator has gone home. Additionally, the ProCobot is very reliable and needs little maintenance or upkeep, meaning it will continue to add value for years after it has paid for itself.

Particularly attractive benefits of these installations are the release of skilled staff for higher added-value work elsewhere in a factory, and the easy-to-use programming software which supportst the viable automation of batches as small as 20-off. Less than one day of training by the same engineer that provides the Hurco machine instruction is required for an operator to become proficient.

Another trend witnessed by Hurco over the past 12 months was an increase in demand for used machines, which are regularly acquired and refurbished to a high standard in a separate area within the High Wycombe headquarters. This option is especially helpful for first-time users or customers on a tight budget.

Used machines are an excellent vehicle for training new engineers and sometimes second-hand sales can lead to enquiries for new machines. According to David, it makes sense for Hurco to purchase its pre-owned machines, because it has all of the expertise and necessary spare parts readily available to bring them back to near-new condition. As a result, the company provides a warranty with every pre-owned machine.

The outlook for 2026 is positive for Hurco and the company is excited to be exhibiting at the Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition in February, as well as MACH 2026 in April. At the latter, Hurco plans to launch further automation products from the ProCobots stable.

Said David: “We’re eagerly awaiting the forthcoming MACH show in Birmingham, as the biennial event normally triggers an upturn in orders. Two automation solutions will be on show, in addition to a broad selection of our three- and five-axis mills and CNC turning centres.

“Thankfully, the original 2026 expiry date for removing full expensing of capital investment was swiftly cancelled in the Autumn Statement of 2023 and the 100% write-down against corporation tax for qualifying new plant and machinery remains. It’s a big incentive for anyone considering purchasing a new machine tool. Moreover, based on forecasts from major economic institutions, there’s consensus that UK interest rates are likely to go down in 2026 as inflation is brought under control. Despite the headwinds, these factors in tandem should lead to buoyant business activity going forward.”