Sheffield Forgemasters International
Thursday, 5 February 2009
SHEFFIELD Forgemasters International Ltd (SFIL) is a world leader in supplying total engineering packages to solve industry's needs.
As the world's largest independently owned forgemaster, it specialises in a broad range of heavy steel forgings and steel castings as well as stocking steel ingot and bar.
During its 200 year history it has produced some of the largest bespoke engineered products in the world and has the capacity for steel castings of up to 350 tonnes and steel forgings of up to 200 tonnes.
The company, which is based in Sheffield, continues to supply an increasing global demand for high quality engineered products to key industries such as defence, nuclear, oil and gas exploration, power generation, marine and construction.
Today, 80% of what it manufacturers is exported to countries such as Germany, Russia, and the US. Thirty percent of that is shipped to China.
Employing around 800 staff, including 72 apprentices, the company has grown its turnover from £38m five years ago to £120m expected this financial year.
Speak to chief executive Graham Honeyman and it’s easy to see why the firm has carved such an enviable global reputation.
As well as being able to forge some of the world’s largest castings, the firm prides itself on technical development and being able to predict its customers’ future requirements.
“We offer a ‘take your breath away’ service,” says Honeyman.
“We work hard to envisage our clients’ needs and anticipate where they are going in the future. You need to understand different nuances in inspection regimes and different designs. Relationship management is everything.”
SFIL’s recent £500,000 investment in four pouring ladles each weighing more than 100 tonnes is an example of the firm’s continued commitment to innovation.
Honeyman is also constantly looking over the horizon for the next “boom” sector to ensure his firm can cater for future demand. But that’s not to say all of SFIL’s eggs are in one basket.
“We anticipated growth in the civil nuclear sector and have won several contracts to supply in the US and China,” he says.
“But we do a wide variety of work from supplying fittings for nuclear submarines to wind turbine components.”
He admits that the firm has seen signs of the economic downturn, particularly in the renewable energy and car manufacturing sectors, but that its diverse portfolio together with expected demand from emerging economies such as Mexico, Brazil and Vietnam will offset any slowdown.
But it’s not just SFIL’s commitment to technological investment that sets it apart. Training is another high priority.
Honeyman is proud of his workforce, which now have shared ownership in the company. “We have a rich cocktail of people from technicians to steel workers. It’s a multi-cultural workforce, which I believe is important given that our clients are global.”