News, milestones and stories from across the Group

At GCH Corporation, we believe innovation will be a defining force in the next chapter of British industry.

That conviction sits behind GCH Systems & Technology — a business being developed to explore emerging technologies, strengthen research and development capability, and help shape commercially viable opportunities for the future.

As a privately owned investment group, our focus has always been on building sustainable businesses and creating long-term value. The same long-term perspective underpins this investment. While many organisations are rightly focused on the demands of today, we believe it is equally important to invest with discipline in the opportunities that could define tomorrow.

GCH Systems & Technology has been created to provide that platform. Its purpose is to identify opportunity, develop capability, and create intellectual property that can, over time, support manufacturing performance, operational efficiency, and commercial growth.

Innovation, however, has greatest value when it can be translated into practical industrial application. That principle is central to the direction of GCH Systems & Technology — combining technical expertise, research, and applied thinking to move ideas towards meaningful outcomes.

This reflects a broader belief in British enterprise. The UK has a long-standing heritage of engineering excellence, industrial capability, and innovation. Sustaining that position requires continued commitment to new ideas, emerging technologies, and long-term development.

Through GCH Systems & Technology, GCH Corporation is investing in capability, innovation, and future opportunity with clear purpose. More will be shared in due course, but this offers an early indication of a business being built with ambition, rigour, and the future firmly in mind.

Thurston Group has announced a new Combilift multidirectional straddle carrier for its Wakefield operation, adding further infrastructure behind the business's modular manufacturing platform. The investment is intended to improve the flow of completed units through the yard, support dispatch performance, and create additional capacity without extending the site's footprint.

Operationally, the change matters because finished units need to move quickly and safely through a busy manufacturing environment. By making double stacking possible and reducing reliance on more complex lifting arrangements, the new system is expected to strengthen control across the yard while helping production and delivery remain better aligned.

“With the backing of GCH Corporation, we are continuing to invest in practical improvements that strengthen capability within all our operations. It also reflects increasing activity across the entire business, and the need to ensure site infrastructure keeps pace with demand.”

Matt Goff — Group Managing Director, Thurston Group

The story has also attracted external coverage, reflecting the wider significance of disciplined operational investment inside the Group. For GCH, it is a straightforward example of long-term ownership in practice: backing infrastructure that improves throughput, increases resilience, and supports sustainable growth over time.

“This investment is another demonstration of GCH's commitment to building long-term value within Thurston Group. We believe sustainable growth comes from investing not only in people, but also in the infrastructure and operational capability needed to scale efficiently.”

Cassie Hutchings — Chief Executive Officer, GCH Corporation

We began on the shores of Lake Windermere with a treasure hunt built around navigation, teamwork, and a series of photo-led challenges. It was competitive, good-humoured, and more revealing than you might expect. Some teams set their course early and stuck to it. Others adjusted quickly as conditions changed. A few drifted. It was a useful reminder that strategy is not just about having a plan; it is about knowing when to hold your line and when to change course.

The following two days were devoted entirely to the work itself. We reviewed each subsidiary's strategic priorities, innovation pipeline, operational goals, and long-term direction. Stepping out of the day-to-day made for sharper conversations, more honest challenge, and a clearer sense of where the Group should focus next.

By the time we left, each business had a stronger view of its priorities and a more grounded understanding of what needs to happen next. That is the real value of time away together: not simply reflection, but alignment, clarity, and better decisions.