Grimsby headquartered engineering giant Blackrow Group has hit the £25 million turnover mark for the first time ever, as investment is poured in to support the strong growth.
The nationally active South Humberside Industrial Estate business has also opened a satellite workshop on the South Coast, with further designs on the Midlands and Scotland as it supports key clients while looking to win more work in the specific regions.
The leap was aided by a £7 million contract to build a new production facility for a supplier to global a sportswear giant, which will also run into the firm’s new financial year.
It is working on a large project in Peterborough for a 海角视频 firm that has entered into a long-term strategic innovation partnership with the global brand on an advanced material.
Ben Tiffney, operations director, said: “We've secured a record turnover, and it is quite a lift. The Peterborough project has played it’s part in that, but we have also seen large growth across all areas of the business.
“It has been led by the expansion of the workforce in the sales area, which was a clear strategy to increase the turnover. It boosted all aspects and it has meant we have had to push forward with investments across the board, from design team to supervisors in all areas.
Year on year headcount has gone from 174 to 211, with a significant increase in direct employment.
Of the satellite office, at Chichester, West Sussex, Mr Tiffney said: “One of our main customers in that area has helped drive that decision. We have opened up a small workshop, one of our employees has relocated and we are looking to employ further around that area and take on apprentices. We are doing a lot of work for the client, a major salad group, so we have set up to service it and then expand with other customers in that area.”
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Cambridgeshire is also being looked at, with a similar model alongside a chemical company, and Scotland too.
Blackrow is also investing in green solutions and guarding for further growth when it comes to nitrogen use. A key requirement in the laser cutting specialism that Mr Tiffney brought to the fold, the company has invested £90,000 in a NitroCube, producing nitrogen from the air circulating in the workshop. It will easily provide the 12,000kg a month Blackrow currently uses.
With capacity for future expansion, the team is confident it will pay for itself within two years.
“It is a great addition, and really good for our footprint, when you look at road miles and processes involved,” Mr Tiffney said.
On top of a £100,000 of investment into the sheet metal department with a new 4000m / 220 tonne Amada Press Brake, the machine shop at Blackrow has been tripled in size.
More than £250,000 being spent on an ongoing overhaul of a huge hangar that once served as a potato store for original occupier, snack giant KP.
Five key pieces of equipment have been added, including a £50,000 XYZ milling machine, capstan lathe, 5m lathe, 12in stroke slotting machine and horizontal borer.
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Nick Rands, machine room manager, said: “We have brought in the new machinery, then there’s a new fitting shop, fabrication and welding bays and a 75 tonne hydraulic press.
“Tripling the size has given us massively improved capability, more access to the machinery and we are also going to have self-reliant stores for materials, which will make us so much more reactive. We’ve also increased the roles to accommodate the work.”
In the design department, draughtsmen have gone from four to eight, with drawing office manager Ryan Aisthorpe welcoming the latest 3D CAD programmes, including SolidWorks and Point Cloud software, as well as the high spec hardware to handle it.
He said: “The department over the last year has been branching out into the 3D Point Cloud sector. To accompany that process we have invested in specialised software to produce augmented reality drawings showing 3D models in a real life environment. We have the ability to produce video animations to illustrate the completed job on turn-key projects before steel is cut.”
A new fully furnished open office will unite the engineering contracts team to further increase the pool of knowledge and experience in the team as part of the office improvements.
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