Expansion joy for specialist engineers Harco

A specialist engineering firm in Brierley Hill is so busy at the moment it has had to expand into its third unit in the last month.

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Harco Engineering makes precision one-off items for a range of manufacturing companies, often making factory machinery for customers overseas.

Owner Martyn Hughes said: "There may be a double-dip recession but we are not seeing it in manufacturing at the moment.

"We are not as busy as we were last year, when our turnover went up around 43 per cent from £900,000 to £1.3 million, but we still expect to do around £1.2 million of business this year.

"It is a bit patchy – a very quiet week can be followed by one so busy that we have to turn work away – but it is generally very busy. Some of our customers are working flat out at the moment.

"Around 75 per cent of the work we do ends up going abroad, with most of it going to the Far East.

"For instance one client is making earthquake simulation systems and is doing a lot in China at the moment, so we are making some fairly specialist precision pieces for them,

"But we are also starting to see a lot of work coming from the oil and gas industry in and around Aberdeen.

"Apparently they have run out of capacity in Scotland and the work has started coming south. We are currently talking to a firm in Tyne & Weir about a possible contract."

Harco is based in a unit in Canal Street in Brierley Hill but had to expand to a second, rented, unit 18 months ago to cope with expansion and new machinery.

Mr Hughes said: "We bought new machines at Christmas, which meant an investment of around £200,000, and we are so full we have had to buy a third unit over the road.

"The biggest problem we face at the moment is trying to find skilled workers. There are so few around who did an apprenticeship like I did in the 1970s. We have expanded to employ 23 people at the moment but we are looking for another couple of skilled machine operators."

Anyone interested in applying for a job can ring Harco on 01384 480280.