Contract haul tops strong quarter for private equity-backed manufacturer
One of the UK’s longest established hot dip galvanisers has enjoyed a strong quarter after securing nearly £300,000 of new business.
Corbetts the Galvanizers, which employs 105 people at its facility in Halesfield in Telford, has won contracts to supply customers involved in producing security fencing, street lighting, cable management systems and agricultural trailers.
Sophie Williams, finance director of Corbetts the Galvanizers, said the business is heading towards £12m of annual sales.
She said: “2019 promised to be an exciting year for our business and it’s certainly living up to its billing with some important new wins and the potential for increased volumes for the rest of the next six months.
“This is just part of the story. In addition to the new approach, we are also working towards our ISO 9001 quality accreditation, which will help us increase efficiencies whilst also putting us in pole position for new opportunities.”
She added: “For example, securing this standard will definitely open up tenders for work with HS2 and the new nuclear power reactors being built at Hinkley Point, both projects that will involve a significant amount of galvanised parts.”
Corbetts the Galvanizers specialise in hot dip galvanizing, which involves the coating of steel with a layer of zinc by immersing the metal in a bath of molten zinc at temperatures of around 450c.
When exposed to the atmosphere, the pure zinc reacts with the oxygen to form zinc oxide, a strong material that stops further corrosion in many circumstances, protecting the steel from the elements.
The company has also continued its investment drive, having purchased a
new weighbridge and made significant infrastructure improvements to its facilities in Shropshire this year.
“Our acquisition by Ardenton Capital, a Canadian-based private equity specialist, in 2017 marked a paradigm shift in our approach and signalled the first stages of our move away from a business that failed to invest in its staff and its performance,” added Williams.
“The organisational changes we started to put in place back then are now reaping dividends and we are in the process of making a number of crucial appointments. In fact, the first one has just been completed with Natalie Hughes joining us as human resources manager.
“She joins the Operations Support team and wider Senior Management team and brings with her over 10 years of HR experience within the industrial sector. Upskilling our staff and retaining the best talent is a big challenge for us after the legacy of previous management teams. Having Natalie on board goes a long way to helping us achieve our aim of becoming an employer of choice in the region.”
