A Black Country manufacturing firm that used to be part of the Metalrax group has been bought by a local businessman who says increasing environmental awareness will make local manufacturing more viable.
Walsall-based BSC (Diecasting) was bought by Mark Nunan for an undisclosed sum after being sold by Metalrax earlier this year when the then-troubled Birmingham group was looking to focus on pure engineering work.
Mr Nunan said he was planning to invest heavily in the firm in anticipation of the economic upturn, adding he was bullish about the company’s potential future, particularly the prospects of creating a new market in Europe.
The businessman already has a foothold in France, having bought heat exchanger manufacturer Collard & Trolart several years ago.
He said: “I am preparing and positioning the company for when the current recession comes to an end and for what I believe will be a boom in UK manufacturing as larger companies realise that the increased carbon footprint of international sourcing is socially irresponsible and unacceptable.
“British companies do not attack the European market as they should. For example, Collard & Trolart are approached by Italian, Belgian, Spanish, Dutch and of course French companies, but never British ones.
“Once our business strategy is in place we shall look to penetrate these markets and there will be opportunities for BSC (Diecasting) to manufacture components including heat exchangers for Collard & Trolart boilers.”
BSC operates from three adjacent sites in Bloxwich.
Its primary products include chrome plated and zinc beer pumps, which the company produces for most of the UK’s major brands, as well as automotive components and small molded kitchen furniture packs.
Les Dudley, the former operations director at BSC, has been made the new managing director at the firm. He said: “The company’s development and profitability has been held back by insufficient investment, archaic business systems and a lack of manufacturing programmes. This situation is being addressed with a total overhaul of the operation.
“The fact that the business is still here is testament to the efforts of the 82-strong workforce. Now, after a period of uncertainty, we are confident that this business has a real future.
“Going forward we are going to concentrate on the quality end of the market and will be putting in place plans to make a concerted sales push into continental Europe.
“There is certainly a growing realisation amongst UK companies that buying from far-flung low-cost economies such as China and India is not as cost-effective as previously thought, once transportation and distribution costs have been taken into account.
‘‘Add to this the problems associated with rejects and keeping the communication channels open, and price-wise there is probably very little in it, but potentially a great deal more hassle.”
