Pre-Met
Pre-Met in action.
Pre-Met has invested £500,000 in relocating the operations and welding technology of the business it bought in January, Quality Springs & Pressings (QSP). The company has upgraded its electrical supply, freed up 10,000 square feet of production space, and established dedicated welding bays. All staff have now been relocated to its factory in Redditch, with the company set to capitalise on enhanced wire form and spring manufacturing expertise following the acquisition.
“Our order book has strengthened quite nicely since the acquisition, and this has given us confidence to re-invest in taking the next steps,” said James Leng, Managing Director of Pre-Met. “Many existing clients have extended their order schedules, and this has been combined with securing new work in transportation, electronics, and construction products, alongside some renewal components to extend the life of commercial-scale recycling bins.”
The company has also created four new jobs so far, with this number set to increase with Pre-Met having secured JOSCAR approval.
Leng continued, “The relocation has been a real labour of love, but we are now in an ideal position to maximise the QSP purchase. As part of the move, we accelerated the modernisation of our production facility, installing additional storage and, importantly, creating a dedicated welding section with both manual and robotic bays. Our 6-axis robot is compact, yet powerful, and its slim and lightweight design enables it to be positioned close to the workpiece to improve part accessibility.”
“When combined with our welding power source (Miller Auto-Axcess 450) - designed specifically for robotic welding applications - we can now support precision MIG and Pulsed MIG welding processes,” said Leng. “These are all linked to our data management process, ensuring high output and world-class quality production.”
Looking ahead to the future
Investing in new technology and workforce development has allowed the company to become a metal pressings and assembly specialist. Now, Pre-Met is active throughout the entire product lifecycle, from concept to design. The company has worked to achieve the highest levels of manufacturing performance, gaining ISO 9001, AS9100 (aerospace), and TS16949 (automotive) accreditations. Recently, Pre-Met has obtained its Cyber Essentials security certificate, reinforcing its commitment to digital transformation.
Leng concluded, “The next few months are going to be really exciting. I’m due to be speaking at a virtual Made in the Midlands event (September 17th) on how acquisitions can accelerate entry into new markets, and then we head to Farnborough for a ‘JOSCAR’ meet the buyer session. This is a fantastic opportunity to get in front of a lot of defence buyers for the first time.”
