Fuel speed ahead as tanks roll out
They are true giants of industry – and proof that the Black Country's manufacturing roots are still alive and thriving.
And the two 15ft fuel tanks were real traffic stoppers when they trundled out onto the region's roads.
The enormous structures were manufactured on site by Kingswinford firm Pressvess who say the massive order is proof that home-grown industry can survive the credit crunch that is driving so many firms out of business.
The contract, worth around £100,000 to the firm in Stallings Lane, is by no means their biggest financial coup. But it is the biggest piece of equipment ever to be built on site.
"The tanks are about 15ft wide and had to be escorted by a special escort van on their journey," said marketing and IT manager Tom Mason.
"They are the widest load a road can take and one of the biggest things we have ever built on site.
"We think that orders like this show that it's not all doom and gloom for industry right now - you just have to adapt."
The manufacturing and engineering firm specialises in contracts for the agricultural, petro-chemical, fuel oils and marine industries. They are in the process of carrying out a contract to build two giant buoys for a firm which wants to float them off the coast of South America.
"When people hear the terms manufacturing or engineering right now they imagine we're all on three day weeks and shutting up shop," said Mr Mason.
"But we have just tried hard to focus on some different areas and to adapt our market.
"We are also widening out our contracts and taking on work from firms based in Saudi Arabia and Iraq."
The giant tanks were rolled out yesterday and lined up at the Pensnett Trading Estate before setting out for Oxford – the home town of the company which ordered them.
An escort truck led the convoy of tanks – each of which can accommodate 130,000 litres of fuel – as they left the site yesterday. The tanks were ordered by fuel firm Sweet Fuels in Farringdon, Oxford, which will use the specially-made equipment to store specialist fuels.
The tanks took around two months in total to construct with up to 15 staff – including six fabricators – involved in the mammoth project.
Each tank weighs around 20 tonnes so equipment such as huge capacity cranes had to be used to move and transport the titanic structures.
"Physically this is one of the biggest orders we have ever carried out," added Mr Mason.
"And it was all constructed right here on site – it's a great example of good old fashioned Black Country industry."
