New contracts and jobs seal major birthday milestone for manufacturer

DEVELOPING new products has helped a Yorkshire manufacturer grow its sales to nearly £8m – a 40% increase in the past year.

Beverley-based Hodgson Sealants, which employs 45 people at its Belprin Road site, added nearly £3m of new business across the construction, glazing and transport sectors, including securing a £2m contract previously completed on the continent.

The business, which manufactures sealants for a range of different industries, said a lot of the growth has been in the specialist vehicles and caravan and leisure markets.

The company, which has received specialist advice and assistance from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), has taken on six people to cope with the increases in demand and expects more new jobs to follow.

Charles Hodgson, managing director, said: “We celebrated our 45th birthday in 2013 so we were delighted to be able to mark it by enjoying probably the fastest growth in our history. At the same time we are half way through investing a record £600,000 in new production and R&D equipment, which is significant for us.”

The business was started by Hodgson’s father, Peter, and remains family owned today with his brother Max acting as chairman.

“This has given us a strong base from which to diversify and we’ve evolved from a putty manufacturer into a specialist producer of cartridge based sealants,” Hodgson added.

“Our range is extensive and includes silicones, adhesives, butyl and acrylic sealants, putties and glazing compounds. Particular growth has come from the recent launch of our new range of hybrid sealants and adhesives, which offer many advantages to users, especially in transportation.”

Hodgson said MAS has played a major role in the firm’s recent successes, with the management team tapping into guidance and funding to improve factory layout and implementing new manufacturing processes. This has resulted in increased efficiency, improved scheduling for deliveries and a host of cost savings across the factory.

“MAS advisor, John Dodgson, said: “The growth in the last year is great to see and a firm reminder to other manufacturers of what you can achieve if you plan, diversify and are not afraid to make some important changes to your business.

“Our role at MAS is to provide a sounding board and to harness available funding to take some of the painful costs out of the equation. We will continue to work with Charles and his management team, starting with their commitment to achieving ISO 14001 this year.”|

Hodgson Sealants is setting its sights on expanding another 30% over the course of the next three years. The company is targeting strong growth particularly in the transportation sector, whilst also building on current export activity to the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland and Scandinavia.

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