Manufacturing
2018: No.43 - £125m
2017: No.34 - £140m
Jeremy Woolridge and his family have a 75 per cent stake in the Willenhall-based Wedge Group which galvanises steel and iron components.
Despite being hit by rising zinc prices it remains a profitable company and in the year to March 2017 the holding company declared pre-tax profits of £23.4 million on sales of just below £153 million. Jeremy Woolridge, 73, is executive chairman of B E Wedge Holdings.
Jeremy Woolridge's son, Chris Woolridge who has worked for the family company for 14 years took over as managing director of Wedge Group at the beginning of 2014. His father began at the firm in 1966, became managing director in 1974 and chairman in 1987
Wedge Group Galvanising is the UK's largest hot-dip galvanising company, Founded in the 1860s by John Wedge, the firm has 14 plants around Britain. The company can galvanise anything from a tiny washer to a 29 foot beam. Its galvanising techniques have a wide range of uses, including protecting Blackpool's Pepsi Max roller coaster from salty sea air. It also galvanises crash barriers, phone masts and electricity pylons.
The company sets great store by its sustainability and low environmental impact, using rainwater collection and storage, minimising the use of mains water.
The company's headquarters and main site is in Stafford Street, Willenhall, with plants across the country including Manchester, Hull, Garston, Newport, Glasgow, Worksop and Saffron Walden. It has international divisions in Italy, Germany and the USA.
The company's Wessex Galvansers subsidiary in Eastleigh is providing the steelwork for the new Salford City FRC ground owned by former Manchester United players including the Neville brothers and Ryan Giggs. The company's Manchester plant processed the steelwork for new turnstiles at Burnley Football Club.
The company's Wednesfield plant has provided 2.700 tonnes of galvanised steelwork for security fencing destined for Kuwait.
A £6 million galvanising plant in Haverhill has been completed, while a £5.5 million state-of-the-art galvanising plant opened in Witham in 2012.
