This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
50
“The best of two worlds”
A surprisingly sunny morning in mid to customer’s specifications. “We are run the machines non-stop, 24 hours a day, for
November saw Will Lowry visit UK based constantly looking to adapt and introduce new a whole week if it is necessary.”
Blakeacre to find out more about this parts wherever possible,” comments Chris. Once the products have been produced they
manufacturing stockist. “We can design and produce our own tooling are shipped to Blakeacre’s warehouse which is
Blakeacre, situated conveniently just off the and have a storeroom which contains situated a couple of miles away from the main
M6 in Birmingham, was founded in 1981 by hundreds of tools. This means that when a office and factory.
Chris Gratwick, managing director. “I started customer enquires about us producing a “We did have the opportunity to bring the
the company after the demise of Baxter’s, a special we can either develop a new tool or warehouse and factory together a couple of
UK manufacturer, and only had four employees modify an existing one. Our tools are stored in years ago,” explains Chris, “but after careful
in the beginning. We were all ex-Baxter staff specific product boxes which allow us to consideration we realised that it wouldn’t have
and I saw that there was an opportunity in the quickly identify if we have the correct tooling, been cost effective. By moving the warehouse
market for a manufacturer who could also and if not, how quickly we will be able to to the same location as the factory, we would
stock products. Over twenty five years later adapt the current tooling.” have been moving it away from the valuable
and we have 20 plus employees and mainly Blakeacre can supply products to countries resources it is currently situated near, such as
sell to distributors. We really have made giant around the world; destinations currently heat treatment and plating. It therefore made
steps since the company began.” include New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, sense to keep it where it is and simply make
Blakeacre produces a range of products Finland and Germany. “We offer a special the five minute journey when necessary.”
including self clinching studs, thread forming service to certain customers where we will What helps make the distance even shorter
screws for plastics, projection weld bolts, pack the products in customer branded boxes, is that the warehouse and offices are linked
capacitor discharge studs, its own Bolt Lok™ label them and, if necessary, deliver them to via a personalised computer system. The
pin and collar fastener range, PCB circuit board their clients,” comments Ken. “All the computer system was introduced in 1996 with
screws and multi grip pins and collars, as well customer has to do is supply us with the boxes the intention of making the whole order
as specials to customer drawings. and the labels.” process more efficient. “The software was
“Our core business is sheet metal and Blakeacre currently has four specialist designed in-house and although there might
without doubt our main product is self clinching optical sorting machines, as well as two have been a few bugs to begin with we can
studs which we have been producing for 7 to 8 automatic bagging machines which help to now ship orders within minutes, comments
years,” explains Ken Horton, sales director. maintain quality standards. “We bought our Ken. “As soon as the order has been received
“However, we are always willing to listen to first sorting machine about ten years ago and in the office we can send an electronic copy to
customer’s requirements and to manufacture have been adding new machines as and when the warehouse. This is then used by the
new products that we currently don’t offer.” necessary,” says Chris. “It is important in warehouse as picking notes and also to check
Ken, who has been at Blakeacre since 1995, today’s market that a company can offer the order. Once the order has been cross
is open and plain speaking when talking about quality assured products.” checked an invoice is printed and the products
Blakeacre. “What makes us different to most The Blakeacre factory houses fifteen cold sent out. It couldn’t be any faster or simpler.”
manufacturers is that we manufacture and formers and fifteen thread rollers. Each cold The warehouse contains over £500,000 of
stock certain products before we have received heading machine has computerised process stock and the computer system can
an order. This means that when we get an controls. Flexibility across the machines, thanks automatically check which lines are running
order for a stocked product it can be quickly to interchangeable tooling, means that low. “If we are lacking on a certain product the
shipped out to the customer.” Blakeacre is always able to accept new orders. computer red flags it and automatically ‘pulls
As well as manufacturing and stocking its “We can actually run a ghost shift over night through’ an order for more product,” explains
own product, Blakeacre can produce specials if required,” comments Ken. “In fact we can Chris. “This guarantees that we always have a
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140