Chamberlin wins a major contract
Castings and engineering group Chamberlin has won a three-year contract to supply components for diesel engine generators that will start in July.
The Walsall business made 101 redundancies earlier this year after losing two major contracts and has undergone a restructuring to save £3.4m a year.
It raised £3.5 million in a fundraising earlier this year.
Chairman Keith Butler-Wheelhouse said: "The recently completed fund-raise has facilitated the restructuring of the Chamberlin & Hill foundry in Walsall and provides a sound platform for growth. Efforts are concentrated on replacing revenue at C&H, following the loss of major contracts at the end of 2020. Your directors are confident that the company is now well positioned to exploit the opportunities arising in the new financial year commencing June 1."
June 1 will see operations director Kevin Price become chief executive, taking over from Kevin Nolan.
The new contract will see Chamberlin start early next year to supply an existing customer on a “low volume, high value” five-year programme to manufacture turbocharger bearing housings for a luxury sports car manufacturer.
The restructuring of Chamberlin and Hill Castings and the integration of C&H and Chamberlin head office has now been completed in line with expected cost savings.
Chamberlin also announces that C&H continues to diversify its customer base, to reduce reliance on the automotive sector. C&H has launched an eCommerce operation to design and develop consumer products to be sold via the internet. Sales of kettle bells, the first products from this initiative are already being made from our its website www.ironfoundryweights.co.uk
Strong eCommerce growth is expected to come from new product development, including authentic 'retro' household and commercial products from our 130-year design archive, and from extending sales into the global marketplace.
Russell Ductile Castings continue to win work in railways, the renewables sector (particularly for offshore wind farms) and for major UK infrastructure projects in power and water. The total forward order book for RDC is strong and the workforce has been expanded by approximately 30 per cent from the same period last year to meet demand.
Petrel has successfully completed the on-time supply of a significant MoD contract to supply specialist ATEX lighting for installation on a flagship vessel for the Royal Navy, putting it in a strong position for the award of further contracts. Following a period of strong demand, Petrel is also increasing its workforce to support an expansion of development and production capacity.
