Brandauer secures £2m reshoring order

A BIRMINGHAM manufacturer has secured a major reshoring contract that will see 25 million components shipped across the world every year.

Presswork and stamping specialist Brandauer fended off competition from a number of international rivals to secure the tooling-up and volume production of a cable conduit retention ring for the telecoms sector.

Backed by support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service’s ReshoreUK service, the Aston-based company was able to compete on the part price, while significantly improving the raw material utilisation throughout the production process.

The deal – worth £2m over the next 10 years – will see the firm supplying components all over the world, including China, India, Mexico, UAE and the United States. It has also lead to the firm creating three new jobs.

Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer, said: “This is a fantastic win for us, as it highlights our ability to take on complex progression tooling challenges and move them swiftly into volume production supply.

“Whilst we were able to match our global competitors on price, it was our track record for delivering continuous world class quality that made the difference to the customer. The fact we’ve improved raw material utilisation by 45% is also a major bonus for them.”

He said the support from MAS on customer service training, leadership development and sales and marketing had been vital in securing the win.

This contract is just one of a number of orders that are coming back from overseas.

After knocking at the doors of the Germans for many years, the company has started to secure its first contracts over there, thanks in part to capacity issues in the European powerhouse.

“It has traditionally been very difficult to convince buyers that you can compete on price and quality, but this is slowly changing,” added Crozier.

“Despite there being more than 50 press-workers domestically, the Germans are still struggling to keep up with demand. Our marketing material and the sub brands we created got us in the front door and then it was down to us to impress them with our capabilities, technology and ability to solve problems.”

Martin McKeever, Advisor at Manufacturing Advisory Service, said: “Brandauer is a fantastic example of a small manufacturer doing great things all over the world.

“It has invested heavily in the latest machines and in developing its staff through the ‘Improvers Programme’ and we’ve come in to help address their marketing strategy and to help improve its approach to customer service.”