A Former Mount Engineer Walks Back Through the Door
A few weeks after we updated the Mount website and announced our move into a new facility in Dewsbury, someone walked through the workshop doors on the sunniest day we’ve had this year.
It was Robert Exley.
Robert is a Dewsbury local who Mount in the early 2000s and worked here for nearly 18 years before retiring in 2019.
“I saw the website updates,” he said. “And I thought I’d better come and see if you were actually here.”
That visit meant more than he probably realised.
Because if Robert was wondering whether Mount was still here, there may well be customers around the world wondering the same thing.
So this story is for them too.
Mount is here.
Mount is operating.
And Mount is moving forward.
Nearly Two Decades Building Industrial Filling Lines
Robert joined Mount shortly after it was established and was one of the first employees, becoming a key part of the engineering team. He specialised in pneumatic logic systems, particularly in hazardous and pharmaceutical environments, before modern EX electronics became standard.
“In those days, especially for petrochemical environments, you relied heavily on pneumatic logic. That’s what I focused on.”
Across nearly two decades, Robert was involved in:
Design support
Mechanical build
ATEX-rated filling line assembly
Factory testing
On-site installation
He worked on industrial pail-filling systems, gear pump fillers, conveyor integrations and capping systems — many of which are still in operation today.
Machines Still Running 20 Years Later
The picture shows four generations of Mount team members. From Robert – a founding team of Mount, John, who worked with Robert with a 10-year overlap, Sam who joined as Apprentice Machine Engineer seven years ago and is now involved in all aspects of the company, with Assim – who is rebuilding Mount to its former glory.
We are holding cans, tins and pails – exactly the types of containers Mount filling lines were built to handle.
Those systems were supplied to customers, including:
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Jotun, the sixth largest global paints and coatings company, HQ in Norway
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Arkema, leading global coatings and chemical company, HQ in France
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SWARCO global road markings coatings manufacturer, HQ in Austria.
These are some of the largest coatings, chemical and industrial materials manufacturers in their sectors. Robert was directly involved in the design, build, testing and installation of filling systems for customers of this calibre.
“When you see machines you built still going strong after all that time,” Robert says, “that’s a testament.” Mount still supports many of those companies with technical support and replacement parts to keep the machines running.
Built Properly. Built to Last.
We live in a world where industrial equipment can be sourced cheaply and quickly from almost anywhere.
So why are Mount filling lines still operating globally after more than a decade?
“They were built right. And they were designed right.”
Robert laughs about once having an “honorary degree in being pedantic”. But that attention to detail became part of Mount’s culture.
“When a machine left me, there wasn’t a finger mark on it. It was spotless. If a customer came to inspect it, it was like buying a Rolls Royce.”
‘Pedantic’ meant:
No shortcuts
No exaggerated performance claims
No compromise on finish
No half-completed builds
That mindset is not nostalgia.
It is the standard we are carrying forward.
Mount is not competing to be the cheapest supplier of ATEX filling lines or industrial pail-filling systems in the UK.
We are focused on long-term reliability for paint, coatings and chemical manufacturers worldwide.
Supporting Legacy Machines — And Improving Them
Today, we are not only building new industrial filling equipment.
We are also:
Supporting legacy Mount systems
Overhauling and modernising older installations
Upgrading hazardous area compliance
Enhancing performance beyond original specification
Mount are now working with some of the customers of those machines that Robert built over 20 years ago, supplying spare parts, advice and even helping to increase their production output to meet the growth in demand.
That continuity matters.
Advice for the Next Generation
Before he left, we asked Robert what advice he would give as Mount continues under new leadership.
His answer was straightforward:
“Be honest. Be straightforward. Don’t promise the earth.”
He added:
“A typical salesman promises everything. Then when you come to build it, you can’t achieve it.”
Instead:
Tell customers the truth
Don’t overpromise output
Deliver what you say you will
And stand by it
And finally:
“Finish. Finish. Finish.” Operational, safe, compliant and signed off filling machines”.
To Our Customers — Old and New
Robert’s visit reminded us that Mount has always been more than machines.
It has been People. Craft. Pride.
If you are a former customer wondering whether Mount is still operating — we are.
If you have one of our filling lines installed and running — we are here to support it.
If you are considering a new ATEX filling line, drum filling machine or industrial pail filling system — we are building again.
From Dewsbury to global production sites, Mount filling systems continue to operate in some of the world’s most demanding manufacturing environments.
And we are moving forward — positively, confidently and with the same engineering discipline that put those machines there in the first place.