An investment of £500,000 has been made in our Special Profiles mill in Skinningrove to create a further processing and inspection facility on site. The facility went operational towards the end of last year, having been delivered on time and on budget in just 2 months.
The facility has given our Special Profiles team the ability to carry out edge grinding, buffing, cold sawing and mitre cutting, on site, with the installation of 2 new saws and an automated grinding machine. The equipment allows products to be prepared to customer specifications so that they can be installed in the most efficient way possible, therefore adding value for our customers.
The addition of the further processing and inspection capability has already started to deliver significant cost savings and has improved process efficiency too. Previously, further processing was undertaken by a third party; since investing in enhancing our capability in-house, throughput rates have improved.
David Hogg, Plant Manager Special Profiles, said: “Since November, we have seen a reduction in the time that products are waiting to be processed. By removing the need to move material off site, we have greatly improved the efficiency and predictability of operations, resulting in us offering a more responsive service to our customers.
“The project has also resulted in a reduction in logistics costs and HGV miles. Overall, this investment will deliver cost savings of around £300,000 per year.”
In order to operate the facility, 7 new full-time employees have also been taken on. The new employees will operate the equipment and carry out inspections of material to ensure our material meets the high standards our customer have come to expect.