Member Article

Steel firm tackles growth plans after £15m deal

An engineering company owned by a former England rugby player is projecting further growth after securing a game-changing contract with Network Rail.

Loughborough-based Adey Steel is creating up to 20 jobs after securing a £15 million deal to supply fabricated overhead line electrification structures for the Great Western Electrification programme (GWEp). The programme will see a 150-mile stretch of the track modernised to make trains quieter, more efficient and greener as they run between London and Cardiff.

The family business, which is led by former Leicester Tigers forward Garry Adey as its executive chairman, has ambitions for continued growth as a result of securing the deal and will continue to work closely with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to help deliver its long-term strategy.

Robert Hall, HR, Safety and Quality Director at Adey Steel, said the opportunity to work with Network Rail on such large infrastructure projects as GWEp is hugely exciting to the business and provides the grounding for growth after a challenging five years within the construction industry.

“We’ve managed to maintain a stable business in recent years, but our growth plans have been reviewed as a result of the Network Rail contract and controlled expansion is now very much on the agenda.

“Being awarded the contract has allowed us to set longer term plans as it provides a baseline of work for the next four years and firmly establishes us in the rail sector, which is an area of the construction industry with promising levels of sustained investment.”

The 89-year-old company was founded by Harry Adey in 1925 and originated as an ironmonger before moving into the supply of structural steelwork in to a number of varying sectors with a broad customer base across blue chip construction and engineering firms. The business is now under the ownership of 3rd generation Garry Adey, who played 381 times for the Leicester Tigers until 1981.

Andrew Adey, the fourth generation of the family, is now Managing Director and has worked with MAS for a number of years, receiving advice and practical help with implementing an ISO9001 compliant quality management system and assistance in the tender process for the Network Rail contract.

Mr Adey added, “The Manufacturing Advisory Service has further helped us in the process of finding consultants, gaining accreditations and opening up several possible sources of funding…all of which have been extremely beneficial to the business.”

Adey Steel currently employs 130 people but has already begun recruiting new staff on the back of the Network Rail deal and is expecting to recruit up to 20 production staff in the coming 6 months.

Mr Hall commented: “Our broad customer base has helped us through the recession; we focus on customers across a wide variety of sectors which gives the business a stable platform from which to continuously develop.

“The business is looking strong and with the addition of the Network Rail contract that confidence is being projected across other areas of the business.

“The Adey Group acknowledges the high level of skill we have amongst our workforce and recognise the talent we have throughout the business is a key element in us progressing in the way that we are.

MAS adviser Adrian Waters said Adey Steel was well-placed for expansion on the back of the new quality management standards.

He said: “There are lots more possibilities for The Adey Group, it will be an exciting period ahead as they continue to take opportunities in both the rail sector and the wide construction industry.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .