Metals firm in good shape at 90

Based in the area since its incorporation in 1928, voestalpine High Performance Metals UK is part of the Austrian owned voestalpine AG Group.

Originally registered in the UK as Anglo-Styrian Steel Co Ltd, over the years the company has traded under various names including Schoeller Bleckmann Steels (Great Britain) and more recently Bohler Uddeholm (UK). A leader in supplying specialty metals to the most demanding sectors including oil & gas, aerospace,

power generation, automotive and motorsport, the group today has a combined turnover of more than 12 billion euros, with 500 group companies and sites in 50 countries, but the West Midlands remains home to its UK headquarters.

Tom Gowans, country manager and managing director of voestalpine High Performance Metals UK, said: “We have always been Midlands based and were the original occupier in the newly opened European Business Park in Oldbury in 1993. This year we celebrate 90 years since incorporation and the 25 year milestone at our head quarters.

"We have continually invested during this time, in 2016 we opened our purpose-built warehouse facility. The new Kasto storage system is the tallest in the UK and one of the largest in Europe and was quick to win the Warehouse Efficiency Award at the Annual SHD Logistics Awards.

"This year we have acquired CMP Alloys as our regional distribution hub in Kirkcaldy Scotland, to service our oil & gas customers.

“Around £6m of investment has already gone into our Oldbury head office site with a further £1m planned this coming year. This has included further investment in our warehouse facility and the opening of a brand new value added services centre, anticipated to deliver a 50% growth in this part of our business.

"We have invested in the best equipment and the best people, our largest machine is one of only six in the UK, and our latest is the first of three to be delivered in the UK. We have boosted both our senior team and our apprenticeship programme. As a whole the UK business delivered 10% growth year on year, contributing to an expected voestalpine High Performance Metals UK turnover of £49m this year.”

The company boasts a strong supply chain, extensive product portfolio and financial backing. Looking ahead, said Mr Gowans: " “We believe that first class special steel only goes part of the way. This year we have extended our value added services offer, providing our customers with exceptional quality supported by onsite services such as machining, milling, testing and additive manufacturing. To us, it is all about offering a complete solution.”

Earlier this month voestalpine reported its most successful business year in the group’s history, with revenue rising 14% to 12.9 billion euros and employee numbers increased by 3.9% to 51,621 people.