Arford Steel Profiles plans growth on increasing demand

A BLACK Country steel business is planning a six-figure investment and new jobs on the back of continuing strong demand.

Arford Steel Profiles has almost doubled its turnover since owner and managing director Diane Kimberley took over in 2006.

Now the Kingswinford company is ready to spend £300,000 on a high-tech Plasma Cutting machine in a move to further strengthen its portfolio.

Ms Kimberley said she hoped Arford’s biggest-ever investment would help the company steal a march on some of its traditional rivals.

She said: “The arrival of Plasma technology will increase our capacity at a stroke and should make us more responsive to our customers.

“People ordering steel profiles increasingly demand the highest quality work carried out to a tight timescale. They want jobs done quickly, but they also want them done more precisely than ever before.

“The new machine will mean we can meet those demands and I hope it can lead to a bright future for us.”

She said the investment took the company to the next stage in its development as for the first time, it would be able to offer customers a complete steel cutting service.

The arrival of the Plasma Viper machine, sourced from Esprit Automation in Nottingham, will also mean new jobs at the firm, which currently employs 13.

Ms Kimberley added: “It’s a big decision to spend so much on one machine, but it was something we felt needed to be done to take the business forward. We’ve been turning over £2.5m consistently, but there was no potential to increase capacity.”

She said the problem was that the firm had reached a ceiling in its capacity given the equipment it had.

“You can’t afford to stand still for long in any business and we were determined not to do that,” added Ms Kimberley.

She said the company had committed to the investment following a surge in confidence in the manufacturing sector.

“There’s cautious optimism around that things are beginning to change for the better. I wouldn’t say things seem to be picking up yet, but there are indications that better times could be around the corner,” she said.

“Demand is consistently strong at the moment and I’m trusting that this will bring in more business. I’m confident it’s the right time to invest for the company’s future.”