Go Forth and fabricate – engineering business expands in Barrow
An engineering solutions business has acquired a new facility in Barrow-in-Furness and is launching Forth Fabrications to support BAE Systems submarine division and other industries across the region.
Cumbrian-based Forth, which also has bases in Flimby and Cleator Moor, operates in the nuclear, oil and gas, renewables and other advanced manufacturing sectors.
It designs manufacturing engineering solutions to remove the need for humans to work in hazardous environments in sectors like the nuclear industry.
Forth Fabrications will create five new jobs in Barrow, and will help the company deliver end-to-end solutions to a diverse range of industries.
Rob Sneesby, Forth’s Operations Manager in Barrow, said: “We have had so many requests for welding and fabrication work that we are launching Forth Fabrications.
“It’s a different workstream so we needed a dedicated area to expand and support all our operations across the whole business.
“We have found a site in Barrow and have moved in and are offering these services to our customers in a range of sectors.
“The advantage of having this capability in-house is that we have total control over quality, turnaround time, and are able to ensure every process meets the same high standards which have helped Forth establish its reputation as a premier SME in the Barrow, Furness and Cumbria area.
“We are already performing all of the design, manufacture, installation, and testing. Now we will add fabrication welding which means we will have full end-to-end control of projects that require this capability.
“We want to be the first name on people’s lips when they think about engineering solutions, fabrication, mechanical testing and installation and be the first company they come to for solving engineering problems.”
The expansion comes at a time when Forth’s 14-strong Barrow team will be creating new posts including a mechanical engineer, quality controller and additional technicians, as well as project management degree apprenticeships. This comes after the business recently employed a welder in readiness for the new facility’s opening. The new site at Ashburner Way will also be used to train welders to gain the appropriate qualifications.
Forth’s Barrow operation was established in 2018 by Tony Sneesby, it employed four members of staff by the time it set up an office a year later at Peter Green Way.
