Datum Tool Design lands £1.6M asset finance from Paragon Bank

What's the deal? Datum Tool DesignDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Northern Ireland-based aerospace tooling manufacturer, has secured a £1.6M funding package from Paragon BankDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The Lisburn company, founded in 1996, used the money to buy a PROMAC SHARAV HGVT 4.0 — a 22-metre, 5-axis machining centre that is the largest of its type in Ireland.

Datum works with major aerospace manufacturers and their supply chains, including Airbus, BombardierDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and BAE Systems. It specialises in composite tooling, assembly fixtures, and build-to-print aerospace tooling.

Why now? The new machine gives Datum the scale and precision to manufacture larger and more complex tooling in-house, rather than outsourcing. Director Michael Maguire said the investment marks "the next stage of our development," offering greater capacity and flexibility to meet demand from major aircraft programmes.

What could go wrong? Aerospace supply chains are sensitive to programme delays, defence spending shifts, and geopolitical disruption. A single large equipment purchase also concentrates risk — the machine needs steady order flow to justify the outlay.

The signal: The deal reflects a broader push among specialist UK manufacturers to bring high-value capabilities in-house and reduce reliance on external suppliers. It also highlights the role asset finance plays in helping established SMEs access expensive equipment without draining cash reserves.

Paragon Bank's Joe Blanthorn said the investment "shows the important role asset finance can play in helping established SMEs access the high-value equipment they need to improve productivity, compete for new work and support long-term growth."

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