New stars of heavy metal

A leading metal reclamation specialist is revolutionising its industry with a series of new innovations as it races towards a £20million turnover after 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, 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, deals with a wide and diverse range of industries, 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 among only 20 metal brokers in Europe to hold the prestigious ISO 14001 environmental accreditation, while 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."

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.

Paul, who has 30 years experience in the industry, said: "Ian Pearson, the Minister for Science and Innovation, has already praised our innovative approach. With sales now heading towards £20million 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 map."