Engineering firm targets record year after investment

A COVENTRY engineering firm is on course for a record year following a £750,000 investment in new production facilities.

Foleshill Plating, which employs 24 people at its Bayton Road factory, has installed a state-of-the-art electrophoretic plant. The machinery offers greater automation, speed and better product finish.

It is an ambitious move for the family-run company, which already works with blue chip clients like Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover.

Backed by strategic and financial support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service–West Midlands Auto project, the firm is now aiming to increase turnover from £1.4m to £2m over the course of the next 12 months.

Gurpal Thadwal, Foleshill’s company secretary and environmental manager, said: “This sector of manufacturing has undergone some major changes over the last decade and we have had to move with the times to ensure we offer something different.

“We’ve moved away from chrome, nickel and decorative plating as it is difficult to comply with current environmental legislation. Instead we have focused our efforts on retaining and securing new work through zinc electro-plating and our e-coating arm of the business…this helped us withstand the recession and emerge with our order book intact.”

Electrophoretic coating is primarily a series of dip processes, with the parts moving along on individual jigs. The process gives improved anti-corrosion properties, a uniform thickness of paint and a better finish.

Foleshill Plating was first established in 1978 by the current managing director Mohan Singh.

As a result of the new equipment, the firm will be able to handle larger and heavier parts. It will also make operations more efficient by isolating the process to one production line.

MAS-WM has worked with Foleshill Plating for nearly 10 years providing manufacturing benchmarking, one-to-one mentoring, strategic advice and funding towards installing new machinery and systems at its Coventry site.

“The investment in the latest line, which has been self funded, puts Foleshill in an excellent position to take advantage of a resurgent automotive sector,” said MAS-WM Auto’s Rachel Eade.

“We are continuing to work with the management team and believe there is significant potential for growth and possible job creation over the course of the next 12 months.”