It would probably be fair to admit that as years go, 2011 will not go down as one of the most explosive for H T Brigham. Although it began with a roar of updated and increased schedules, these returned to a steadier, more familiar flow during the summer months. It became apparent that ‘global domination’ would in fact take a little longer than hoped and would be replaced with a more gentle recovery to the pre-downturn days.
Sales Manager, Andrew Essom "As you may be aware, H T Brigham has worked relentlessly during 2011 to assure the company’s future, as work from new customers came on stream and existing accounts continued to develop. The pressworker expects recent project wins from new industry sectors, in particular, to be pivotal to the company’s long-term success and to contribute to making 2012 what could be the most important year in the firm’s long manufacturing history".
This year has also been a particularly busy one for HTB design engineers. The company worked hard for eight months to develop a cost effective replacement to a troublesome casting for a client in North America. This deep drawn pressing will be introduced onto a leading North American OEM’s automotive platform during 2012, generating revenues for H T Brigham in the region of £1.5 million in its first year of production. With other development projects reaching completion, including an own brand medical device and a cutting edge high tolerance precision pressing for the new technologies market, firm foundations have been placed during 2011 for a lucrative 2012 and beyond.
2011 also saw the company investing heavily in order to secure its future growth, with the month of October being a busy one. Extensive preparations were made to ensure that everything was in place for an important delivery. Over 5,000 miles away, the latest addition to H T Brigham’s increasing plant list was in its final stages of production.
The metal pressworker’s newest acquisition, which arrived on-site on October 27th, will assist the company’s continued growth and expansion into new product areas and market sectors, by facilitating the manufacture of larger and heavier presswork than the company has been able to produce before. The rewards of this investment became clear when H T Brigham was able to secure not one, but two lucrative, long-term contracts for brand new projects with existing customers.
The machine, which will enable these new contacts to be fulfilled, is the Chin Fong Straight Side Double Crank Power Press, with 400 ton capacity. The press has been manufactured to H T Brigham’s bespoke specification in Taiwan by one of the largest power press manufacturers in the world. The purchase of the press, however, was secured slightly closer to home, with Stourbridge based company Worcester Presses, who’s Sales Director, Russell Hartill, says, ‘Worcester Presses have taken great pride in supporting H T Brigham during this important transitional period’.
It was also a year when H T Brigham invested heavily in its people, with every member of staff being placed on an extensive City & Guilds ‘Business Improvement Techniques’ program to encourage lean working processes companywide. Barry Smith, Managing Director says, ‘with these practices now being implemented and maintained within each department, efficiency, within what the company had already considered to be a pretty tight ship, can only be increased further’.
So, with continued investment in people, machinery and capacity, along with a very healthy actual order book for 2012/2013, it would appear that UK manufacturing, for H T Brigham at least, is looking very strong indeed. Here’s to 2012 and beyond…