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A small County Durham engineering company has been acknowledged as a regional exception in its tough economic climate by winning the EEF North East award for Business Growth.
Stephenson Gobin, a small division of British Engines Ltd., is based near Bishop Auckland, County Durham and employs around 50 people. From going down to a 4-day week for a few months during 2009, the company has seen a complete turnaround in a remarkable year of increased staff and sales. Stephenson Gobin manufactures fire security products under the Geofire brand, and electromagnetic clutches and brakes under its trade name SG Transmission.
As a result of its hard-work and persistence, Stephenson Gobin has won the accolade for Business Growth as part of the EEF’s annual recognition awards for companies all around the UK. The EEF is a national manufacturers’ organisation that helps thousands of companies to evolve and compete in a fast-changing world. With its unique combination of business services, government representation and industry intelligence, the EEF suggests that no other organisation is better placed to provide the skills, knowledge and networks that businesses need to thrive. As the manufacturers’ organisation, it believes that “a modern,
competitive and innovative manufacturing industry is central to the UK’s economic future.” Previous winner, Prof. Steve Evans from Cranfield University, says “[the EEF awards] show us just what UK manufacturers are capable of.”
Much of Stephenson Gobin’s recent growth has come as a result of its `Can Do` attitude, according to Design Manager, Paul Short. “When we agree to evaluate larger projects, which would normally be considered as too big for a company our size, it is always done with the intention to win these contracts.
Engineering has changed dramatically in the last 25 years, generally the bigger companies have disappeared and been replaced by a wide variety of smaller locally based enterprises. To succeed and grow they have to be much more pro-active in seeking new opportunities at home and abroad.”
Success for the North East SME has come particularly from one major contract with a European conveyor manufacturer. “We were tasked with developing a replacement Clutch/Brake unit against one of the biggest manufacturers in Europe. This competitor had supplied their product for a number of years to an `Original Equipment Manufacturer` with several problems related to longevity in the application. This had led to a decline in customer confidence in the system and a backlog of expensive field replacements.”
The company was approached to provide a solution, along with many competitors. Against all odds, the Design team at Stephenson Gobin managed to secure the contract.
When asked about the future of manufacturing for small Engineering companies in the North East, Mr Short stressed the importance of maintaining a high level of skill locally which can be drawn upon to solve and win the more technically challenging projects. He said:“With commitment to explore and move into more
specialist areas, particularly those considered beyond our comfort zone, we can bring a more rewarding future to our local economy.”
Despite maintaining its local manufacturing roots, Stephenson Gobin will continue to market itself to a wider audience to find needs which it can fulfil. Historically its growth has come from European sources, picking up new projects or existing sales from competitors. However, it now realises the World is a much bigger place and that it is only by exploring potential markets further afield that companies like Stephenson Gobin will ever achieve their full potential.
The national finals of the EEF awards take place next month, in which Stephenson Gobin will compete against the winners from all other regions around the UK for the National Business Growth award.
