Member Article

Engineering suppliers to food processing sector celebrate record £1.1 million turnover

Engineering suppliers Stockton Machine Company has posted a record set of results - reaching turnover of £1.1 million thanks to investment in technology.

The long established Billingham firm has trebled turnover in the last four years thanks to a strategy targetting work in the offshore renewables sector and the oil and gas industries, alongside its traditional client base in the food processing industry.

Specialising in bespoke, rapid turnaround engineering solutions for the food processing, chemical, offshore and automotive engineering industries, SMC is enjoying a boom period under the leadership of managing director Mark Smith.

From its 6,000 sq ft factory, SMC’s 14-strong team makes the components that go into the complex food-making automation process.

They manufacture and supply automated components such as rollers, shafts and gearboxes for food manufacturers producing such delicacies as naan bread, wraps and crisps.

Mark Smith’s father, Ivan, a former Head Wrightson’s fitter and turner, started the business in 1971 alongside the late Ken Hugget, himself a former ICI fitter and turner.

Mark is reaping the rewards after embracing new machining technologies since succeeding his father 12 years ago.

He said: “From our humble beginnings, I’m proud we’re now producing goods worth in excess of £1 million every year.

“Three or four years ago we were turning over £300,000 to £400,000 but we’re now gaining new clients by the week.

“After a downturn a few years ago, we’ve bounced back and I am so proud of what we have achieved over the past three or four years, thanks to the hard work of a loyal and talented workforce. We’re stealing a march on others via our service offering of always being ready to meet tight lead times.

“The business has grown up through the food processing industry. It has always been our mainstay – our bread and butter, if you like! - but the oil and gas industry is now coming up at speed, while wind farms and the renewables sector generally is also growing steadily.”

Mark adds: “When my dad and Ken started off, things were very low-tech, using manual machines to produce low-cost products for local businesses.

“With the advent of CNC machines (computer numerical control), we moved up several gears in terms of the complexity of what we could handle.

“We have recently invested in the latest computer-aided machining software, Delcam. We are now investing in another new vertical machining centre. Coupled with the new software, this means we can produce almost anything in a fraction of the time it used to take.”

Recent projects have included providing components for the giant J-lay tower – designed to lay cables on the ocean floor - that was docked on the River Tees for much of 2012 during manufacture in Port Clarence.

Components have also been manufactured for the refurbishment of davit cranes and pipe-coiling vessels.

The company also carried out machining work for Cleveland Bridge around the prefabricated components in a section of the eye-catching loop that is such a key feature of Stockton’s Infinity Bridge.

Initially based in the back of Fleetham’s Garage in Skinner Street, Stockton, SMC later moved to a site alongside Middlesbrough FC’s Riverside Stadium before switching to Billingham premises in the early 1980s.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .