Investment repatriates Chinese work for pressings firm

A PROGRAMME of investment in new plant has enabled a Black Country engineering firm to win back business from China.

The strategy has enabled Tipton-based Threeway Pressings to venture into new markets and grow its business, all while manufacturing in the UK.

The company produces precision presswork components in ferrous and non-ferrous metals for the automotive, construction and white goods sectors.

The investment has seen it buy a new 200-tonne Rhodes press, which has doubled production capacity to 1.8m parts a year. In addition, Modern CNC tube manipulation equipment has been purchased and the company’s welding and robotic welding facilities have been increased by a third.

A new purpose-built storage and distribution facility has also been created which means stock can be held for customers and dispatched and delivered within 48 hours.

Threeway’s diversification strategy has seen it expand its facilities to include section rolling, which has enabled work to be repatriated from China.

The firm has also grown its business with additional investment in its injection moulding plant to install new tooling and machinery. This enabled the firm to retrieve operations that were previously outsourced.

It said the move had resulted in better control of production and stock holding, and a doubling in productivity.

The firm has also branched out into garden and leisure products through its Bullbarrow Products operation. It is now the market leader in the manufacture and supply of wheelbarrows for the gardening, hardware and building industries.

Its portfolio of 57 models – from lightweight, manoeuvrable models, to sturdy, heavy-duty barrows – is larger than any of its competitors.

Bullbarrow also produces a wide range of garden and leisure accessories including trolleys, flexitubs, children’s sledges and snow shovels. It launched its newest product – the Bullcart, a revolutionary two-wheeled cart that’s easy to push or pull thanks to its low centre of gravity – at Glee 2011, the UK’s top trade show for the garden industry and held annually at the NEC Birmingham.

“We had a tremendous response when we exhibited at Glee,” said director Phil Stanley.

“Our stand looked very impressive with all our Bullbarrow products in various colours on display and attracted a lot of interest from buyers. Around the same time as the show we launched our new website and this is helping us to raise our profile among the 2,000 garden centres and builders’ merchants in the UK.”

Spyra-Base, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Threeway, is the UK’s leading manufacturer of ground anchors. With their spiral design, these can be rotated into the ground by hand and used for a variety of garden, DIY and security applications, anything in fact from securing a parasol or tent to a caravan or boat.

Threeway has invested a six-figure sum to bring Spyra-Base’s manufacturing operations to its Midlands base. This has involved investment in new machinery, tooling, and sales and administration resources.

The firm said the move would create new job opportunities in the future.

Richard Perry, director, said: “We decided to manufacture all our Spyra-Base products in the UK because we couldn’t find suitable suppliers elsewhere, including China.

“We have designed and developed our own machinery that will enable us to make the components to the required quality standard enjoyed by all our presswork and injection moulding customers.

“This will also give us greater capacity and flexibility to increase production in response to customer demand. What’s more, our prices will remain competitive when compared to foreign imports.”

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