Strategy Statement

Growth will focus on the nanometrology sector i.e. the sector of nanoscience concerned with measurement and instrumentation. We believe that nanoscience or nanotechnology will continue to grow strongly and to receive substantial government funding the most fruitful directions and meets increasingly stringent health and safety regulations, companies and research groups involved in this sector will be required to measure what they do to a high degree of accuracy. This means instrumentation that is accurate affordable and accessible.

Designing, manufacturing and supplying such instrumentation is Millbrook’s strength. The Group has plans to grow organically within its existing technologies – surface chemical analysis, nano-mechanical analysis of thin films and coatings, and the characterisation of optical coatings. Development programmes are in place to exploit these technologies and bring new products to the market.

In addition we intend to grow the Group by acquisition: to acquire companies whose products extend the range of the Group’s portfolio within this sector.


The criteria the Board has established for selecting and pursuing acquisitions are as follows:

• The target’s product range must extend and broaden the Group’s portfolio profitably or complement an existing market position.
• The target must already have a customer base so that effective due diligence on its products can be performed.
• The customer base of the Group and the target must be compatible so that sales and marketing resources are used effectively.
• The target must be operating in a high growth niche market with global demand and limited competition.

The Directors believe that this “Buy and Build” strategy will succeed in growing the company and increasing shareholder value more effectively and rapidly than organic growth alone.