Presto was established in 1991
Presto Engineering is a second generation family business owned and run by James and Patrick Lay. The focus of Presto is to supply CNC machined and finished precision parts.
Presto Engineering was founded in 1991 by James and Patrick’s father, Julian and setup in Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordsire. Prior to starting the business Julian completed an Engineering Apprenticeship and subsequently worked at Williams Grand Prix Engineering where he gained much of the knowledge and skills that are still used day to day in the business now.
James joined the business in 2014 as a CNC machinist and is responsible for managing production programming, tooling and prototyping. James is heavily involved on the shop floor assisting machinists as required and ensuring production is running to schedule.
In 2020 Patrick joined Presto having worked as a Chartered accountant in practice for seven years. Patrick is responsible for our financial and business operational processes, ensuring customers expectations are exceeded and the business is running as efficiently as possible.
James and Patrick’s successional takeover took place in 2021 following the relocation of Presto to larger premises in Witney, Oxfordshire.
Our factory in Witney has increased floor space to over 5,000 sq ft – doubling our machining capacity and expanding our team to 12 people.
Consistent growth and investment has resulted in Presto building a loyal customer base, the majority of whom came to us by recommendation. We are very proud of our customers, some of whom we have seen grow from ‘start-up’ to leaders in their field of expertise.
We are constantly refining our processes to enhance our efficiency and always looking for new challenges whether it be exploring new markets or investing in new technologies.
However, the business ethos remains the same today as it was in 1991. To make the procurement process easy for our customers by delivering pristine aluminium machined parts, finished to the highest standards on time and at a fair price from one point of contact. Presto’s core values coupled with our skill in precision CNC aluminium machining guarantees quality that constantly surpasses customer expectations.