From steel seat frames and aluminium body panels for new Underground rail carriages, replacing those destroyed in the 7/7 attacks, to parts for Royal Navy’s minesweepers, it’s all in a day’s work for A1 Stainless Fabrications.
From its base at the Redhill Works in Dudley, A1 Stainless is now taking its expertise into the rail, defence, construction and aviation markets. For a company which started out supplying the food and pharmaceutical sectors with precision fabrications, their new markets demand increased efficiency and better equipment, with their latest machinery financed by UK Steel Enterprise.
Managing Director John Walton explained: “We could not be dependent on one market, we needed to find new customers.”
And, with that in mind, he has taken on Technical Sales Manager Paul Knowles, who is overseeing the company’s developing customer base.
The company has won major orders supplying the steel seating frames for the new Underground carriages and specialist welding, testing and machining to regenerate the main acoustic sweep winches for the Navy’s minesweepers.
They are also supplying architectural steelwork for the entrance foyer of a major theatre development in central London and have recently supplied fabricated aluminium components for specialised trailers used for the internal cleaning of aircraft jet engines.
The recent £20,000 loan from Corus Group subsidiary UK Steel Enterprise provided new sawing and welding equipment which will increase the efficiency of their 15-strong workforce.
Mr Walton sees the year ahead for A1 Stainless Fabrications as one of consolidation.
He added: “Turnover should be about the same as last year’s £1.2 million and we will be looking for new customers in our markets to secure our future growth.”
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