News Industry Middle Eastern influence driving British manufacturing
TURNING THE CLOCK back four years to early 2009, Contactum, a manufacturer of electrical wiring accessories and circuit pro- tection products, had hit financial rock bottom and had entered administration with little hope for the future. However, following a takeover of the com- pany assets by the Saudi-based Alfanar group, a new four-man management team at Contactum, headed-up by chairman David Goodberry and recently appointed managing director Neil Clydesdale (formerly of MK Electric and Weidmuller) is changing the whole company ethos.
Utilising their collective experience, the new team quickly diagnosed the fundamental issues that had caused the trading difficulties and have made good progress so far in addressing them as well as developing a clear vision for the busi- ness, with Contactum now making huge strides to become an established name in the market working with a number of blue chip companies. Alfanar’s product range covers British stan- dard wiring accessories, load centres, low volt- age switchgear, medium voltage switchgear, transformers, package sub-stations, single core wires, low, medium, and high voltage cables, and various other products. With Alfanar being the Saudi market leader
in many product categories, including wiring accessories, managing director Abdul Salam saw the opportunity to acquire the assets of
Contactum as a perfect fit - particularly as the company was intent on establishing a more international presence and British designed and manufactured products are still held in very high regard in the Middle East. Contactum are still manufacturing in the UK - not too far from Wembley Stadium on the outskirts of London - and are supported by a loyal and dedicated workforce that has grown by 20% since the end of last year to well over 100 employees in order to support annual sales growth rates in excess of 25%. If the doomsayers and the sceptics are to be believed, then Britain is a country that simply ‘doesn’t make anything anymore’ - a country living on past imperialistic glory that has seen its manufacturing industry shipped off to the far corners of the globe. This is a stereotype that Clydesdale is keen to quash, stating, “Visitors are always amazed that we are manufacturing in
Consumer units protect Hull prison cells
London. Anyone who thinks that British manu- facturing is dead should think again! Our fac- tory is the best marketing tool we have.” Commenting on the takeover, Goodberry said, “From when we started we’ve virtually doubled our business and we see ourselves dou- bling again within five years. We’ve proved that we can do cable, we’re proving that we can sell enclosures and 3-phase switchgear, and there’s maybe even more that we can take on. In addi- tion, we will carry on developing our wiring accessories and single-phase switchgear busi- ness with our distribution partners and suppli- ers as well as making further strategic portfolio additions in these areas.”
Clydesdale concluded, “While we have come a long way, I still believe there is much more we can achieve. Alfanar has shown a lot of faith in the company and we have a work- force that is strongly motivated by that. Combining the traditions and heritage of a British manufacturing business with a forward thinking management team and underpinned by support from a multi-billion dollar Saudi business is proving to be a winning formula. “We have a very clear long term vision and, while we are conscious of the present, the overall focus and commitment is on making the right decisions and investment to establish a long term sustainable business that will be an enduring legacy to the vision of Alfanar.”
www.contactum.co.uk
Okken Licence awarded to R&B
R&B SWITCHGEAR SERVICES has been awarded the Okken licence by Schneider Electric. R&B is one of three Schneider partners in the UK to have been awarded the licence, enabling them to manufacture bespoke equipment for sites run- ning critical processes. The Okken LV switchboard incorporates safety and protec- tion systems, guaranteeing a safer operation and reduced mainte- nance costs.
HAGER‘S ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS team has developed a specialised consumer unit to provide circuit protection for Hull Prison’s cells. The consumer units for the cells are often housed in riser cupboards that also contain water pipes and cisterns. The previous metal units had started to corrode and needed replacing. With protection against water ingress a priority, Hager supplied its solution with IP65 rated GRP enclosures. In addition, the board had to fit into a small footprint and be fast to install to minimise disruption to staff and inmates.
Each consumer unit is split into two pan assemblies to provide sepa-
rate RCD and MCB protection for two cells. Both assemblies within the board also have an indicator light so that staff can quickly check that there is power supplied to the cells without needing to enter. To speed up installation Hager assembled the boards with the devices in the factory. The boards are daisy chained together and can be supplied with IP rated plugs and sockets to further speed up the installation.
www.hager.co.uk
6 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 Electrical Engineering
The new licence will allow R&B to double the amount of work they do in the nuclear and power sectors, leading to a 20% increase in turnover.
Speaking of the license, manag- ing director, Mark Beswick, said, “The achievement of receiving this licence is testament to the unwa- vering dedication of the entire team and our technical expertise. “The Okken system is at the cutting edge of technology and will enable us to expand our portfolio of services and branch out into new sectors. In a market dominated by large multi- national organisations, it’s imperative that we’re able to incorporate the latest technolog- ical developments into the design of our products.”
www.rbswitch.co.uk
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