Great to see steel industry still going strong

I worked in the steel profiling industry between 1965 to 1970. I was employed by Miles Druce Profiles formerly Floodgate Profiles.

We subcontracted high carbon jobs to Malthouse along with, I believe, some surface grinding. They were very professional. Steel profiling then was a very dynamic, innovative industry with firms working hard to outdo each other in who could cut the biggest, thinnest, thickest, most complicated shapes. The company I worked for supplied just about every conceivable type of engineering company from companies who made giant floats for the fishing industry to manufacturers of agricultural equipment.

I seem to remember that we cut the heaviest steel profile ever, weighing some 15 tons and a shape so wide that a wall had to be knocked down to get the plate in.

The shape was cut in two goes, one half first then the plate was turned over and the other half was cut. Steel profiling was synonymous with Midlands engineering and steel.

I am delighted that Malthouse Engineering is still going strong. They were very happy days for me then and it was the ideal training ground.

Roger Watts

Walsall