60 new jobs have been created at Hydram Sheet Metalwork as sales increase by 60% in 18-months.
Hydram Sheet Metalwork, which supplies metal components to companies including Alexander Dennis, Caterpillar, JCB and Thorn Lighting, has increased turnover by 60% in the last 18-months, creating 60 new jobs.
The County Durham firm has invested significant time and money into securing the ISO14001 environmental accreditation and ISO18001 health and safety standard as part of its desire to win new contracts in the earth moving, transport and white goods markets.
With strategic help from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), the management team has also committed to Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) training for a number of its workers, to improve quality control.
“The management team made the decision to continue to invest even during the recession and this has helped us to capitalise on the upturn,” explained Andrew Robertson, safety, health & environment manager at Hydram.
“Our aim is to become a long-term manufacturing partner and our customers expect the very best in terms of quality and environmental performance, something that we achieve by implementing proactive management systems and leading from the front.”
Hydram, which employs 180 people at its 100,000 sq ft site on Chilton Industrial Estate, has worked with MAS since 2009, and has acquired grants in order to attain the ISO14001 and ISO18001 accreditations.
As a result, the company has reduced its energy usage across the business, as well as cutting general waste by over 60%.
The company is in a £4m investment programme that includes more automation.
Recent plant additions include a Salvagnini panel bender, a Panasonic robot welder, an Adige tube cutting laser machine and an ELECT-52 tube bender.
