Metal firm on course for £20m

A leading Black Country metal reclamation specialist is revolutionising the marketplace with a series of new innovations that has seen it race towards a £20million turnover in just four years.

Williams Alloys & Residues, which employs 25 people at its Willenhall processing plant, has beat off competition from some of the industry's biggest players to land high profile contracts with Muller Dairies, Thornton Chocolates and van makers LDV.

Its ability to offer a complete waste management solution has seen it develop close partnerships with sectors keen to embrace the environmental agenda, an agenda that if not met could cost businesses billions of pounds each year.

Paul Williams, who founded the company in 2003, explained the reasons behind the rapid expansion: "When you talk about our industry, people often refer to it as dealing in 'scrap metal', but this couldn't be further from the truth."

He said: "Copper, aluminium and steel are very attractive commodities and companies are slowly coming round to the fact they need to be able to recycle their materials efficiently and in line with legislation.

"What we do is take the stress out of the equation and, thanks to our ability to combine effective systems with the latest technology, we can even help our clients enjoy new revenue streams. In one case, we've added another £25,000 to a leading manufacturer's turnover. "

Williams Alloys, based in Ann Street, Willenhall, has recently completed a re-branding exercise to reflect its 'one –stop solution'. It has a wide and diverse source of materials, including manufacturing, other merchants, demolition, utilities, vehicle dismantlers and the aerospace industry.

The company remains a major exporter of ferrous and non-ferrous products to foundries and steelworks, with its 24-hour a day collection service providing a steady source of supply to customers across the globe.

"All of our staff have many years of processing and recycling experience, which enables us to think that 'little bit' differently to our competitors," added Steve Lewis, sales director at Williams Alloys.

"We are amongst only 20 'metal brokers' in Europe to hold the prestigious ISO 14001 environmental accreditation, whilst a technology breakthrough allows us to sort, measure and then produce official documentation at the customer's site.

"This takes out any inaccuracies that might occur when the material is driven to a public weighbridge for measuring, as is the norm in the sector.

"Our aim is to establish roots in all aspects of recycling, such as metal, plastic, glass or cardboard. This may be something we can offer internally or through one of our specialists associates like Recycled UK Ltd."

More than £300,000 of investment has been channelled into its fleet of vehicles and its 25,000 sq ft metal processing plant in the heart of Willenhall.

This has seen the complete refurbishment of its offices, the implementation of new IT systems and the development of its staff, some of which are currently undertaking 'Masters Degrees in Environmental Management.'

Paul, who has 30 years experience in the industry, concluded: "Ian Pearson, the Minister for Science and Innovation, has already praised our innovative approach in a recent visit and this backing is a fantastic testament to what we are trying to achieve.

"With sales now heading towards £20m and a pipeline of 'leads' that include the A320 Airbus and a world class printer manufacturer, we will continue to innovate, grow and put Black Country industry firmly on the international map."